Bloodstained Smiles
by AnimationGirl
Summary: Returning from a hunt, Babette finds the Black Door opened, her friends dead and the Dark Brotherhood destroyed. While still grieving, she starts chasing down the slayer of the assassins; the Dragonborn. But how many sacrifices does she have to make to get her revenge? The vampire soon has to realize that the future of the Brotherhood now lies in her small hands.
1. Child of Death

***SPOILER ALERT* **This story contains many spoilers about the Dark Brotherhood, mostly about the task "Destroy the Dark Brotherhood". But, if you do not like spoilers, I guess you should not have visited a fanfiction site… Anyways, you have now been warned.

A/N: And here I am with a multi-chapter story. You see, as I read about the task "Destroy the Dark Brotherhood" (I would never complete such task, therefor I only read about it), I suddenly realized that Babette was the only assassin not to be killed by the Dragonborn. A plot twist! Seriously, how could I not make a story out of it? Poor Babette…

I do not own The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

* * *

**Bloodstained Smiles  
**_Child of Death_

* * *

_-apparently the rumors must have spread far. Hidden in the shadows I saw her enter the Aretino's house, and followed her from a distance as she travelled to Riften. The assassination was quick, but properly done. She entered the orphanage disguised, but did not hesitate stabbing the old hag in the heart the moment their eyes met. Nevertheless, Grelod the Kind was our target, and so the interesting part takes place. Should she be seen as a potential threat or a new member of our family?  
It took quite some time before I had gathered enough information, and still she is quite the mystery. One of the reasons why she should join. I have my doubts about her loyalty, though. Her Nord belief is strong; so is her admiration for the Stormcloaks. Watching her slaughter a group of Imperials on the way back the Windhelm, I wonder why she has not volunteered to fight for Ulfric yet. But she does have her connections; from what I get from rumors, I hear she has friends from both the Companions and the Thieves Guild. Perhaps I should have asked Delvin for information while I found myself in Riften? But I never liked the stench of the Ratway, and Dagmar left just after the murder. I first caught her name once we arrived in Windhelm; I overheard her talk with the innkeeper after having received her payment from the boy. What little silver she got will not bring her much money, but it is not the coin she owes us.  
For a notice; if I heard correct, then she was being called "Dragonborn". I am not a big believer of the old tales (though, I do trust my ears the times I have heard the dragon roar; I do not like how close the beast is to the Sanctuary. I will have to discuss this problem with Nazir soon; I have no plans of any of us ending up as dragon food), this is a matter I want to follow up closely.  
I have already given the courier the letter; I will leave tonight to give her the offer. A carriage will be waiting for me outside Solitude once I manage to carry her body out of the city. It will not be that hard; she is a slim but strong Nord. However, the travel through the marsh will be the biggest challenge; the carriage will not be any help there.  
Of course I will place the prisoners in the shack before she wakes; this is just the perfect moment to let the pathetic souls get what they deserve. Good thing they have many enemies; it would be too tiring to capture all three by myself.  
Hopefully the outcome will be advantageous; either way it will be a quite amusing scene once she will make up her mind._

Babette looked up from the journal, her lips curved into a small as she finally found the answer she was looking for. Of course Astrid had been careful of where to hide her journals, but the vampire had been living in the Sanctuary way longer than the leader.

Of course she knew of the secret room. Not that she had ever thought of entering before; Astrid was allowed to have some secrets. But now, with the task Babette had granted herself, she would need all the information she could get.

A part of her did not want to leave the small room, as she knew of what sights that awaited her once she was back in the center of the Sanctuary.

None of them had survived. The realization had hit her when she had found Lis; not even the pet had been spared.

It was such an ironic situation; the assassins had been assassinated. By who, Babette was not sure of, but she was starting to get an idea.

She was glad she always had extra big pockets; it had always been necessary for her to bring her poisons with her. Now, instead of bottles, she was carrying the many journals with her. The vampire had remembered to close and lock the wardrobe after leaving; too many of the Brotherhood's secrets were hidden in there, so it was important that no strangers would find it.

But they had always felt safe at the Sanctuary. The safest place in all of Skyrim, as Astrid would say. But now someone had managed to get past the Black Door and had entered their home.

And now everyone was dead.

Babette understood how lucky she had been. Being trapped in the body of a child, she had never had the strength her comrades had possessed. Her weapons were her fangs and the poisons she had mixed at her alchemy lab.

Of course her childish charm had helped her when she had been given a contract, but she doubted that the killer would have left any mercy for her.

At least, that was what she believed after glancing at the gruesome remains of the battle. Arnbjorn was the only person who did not lie dead by the pool; from what she could see, he had only barely managed to wake and leave his bed before three arrows had pierced his chest, his neck and finally his head.

The rest of her comrades were no better. Veezara, her dear brother, had a gaping hole in his chest. The Shadowscale still looked like he was in pain and Babette had to look away to continue walking.

She could handle their deaths; she had done it before, though it was always difficult; but the thought of their agony made her still heart burn and sting.

Gabriella almost looked like she was sleeping; the red eyes were closed with a little stripe of blood making its way down to her cheek. Nazir was still clinging unto his scimitar, his face twisted into an expression of absolute pain.

She walked past Festus Krex's severed head as made her way up the stairs. The hundred blank eyes of Lis were staring at her as the vampire by habit returned to her alchemy lab. She was always best at thinking when she was doing something.

Besides, Babette suddenly had the need of mixing some very lethal poisons. Whoever had done this was going to pay. Deeply.

It was mostly the shock that had affected her the most. Without sounding cruel, the vampire had forced herself to get used to the passing of her comrades. Being as old as she was, she had survived a lot; wars, tragedies, sicknesses… But the mortals had not.

Being 300 years old, Babette had been through a lot of friendships. She had been the only survivor. Now, another era began. An era without her fellow assassins.

Of course it hurt. Badly.

Babette looked away from the bloodbath behind her and focused on her mixtures. She was grieving, her heart aching by the thought of Nazir never giving her another contract, of Veezara never asking her to tell him about her past as if it was an story, of Festus never calling her offending names, of Arnbjorn never snarling at her doggy-jokes, of Gabriella never being able to tell her to wipe the blood off her cheek…

She poured the mixtures into bottles, keeping her mind empty until she reached her room. The stone bed felt harder than usual.

The journal had given her some clues.

When she had finally risen from the ground, being sent down on her knees by the painful grieving, she had realized there was still hope.

Astrid was not here; Babette had found no trace of the Nord's body. Knowing the leader was gone on a mission, she had hoped that the leader had not been able to return yet; that she was just as lucky as Babette had been.

And now, reading the journal, Babette understood that Astrid had travelled to the marshes of Hjaalmarch, and she knew of the shack Astrid had written about. She also recognized Astrid's game with the three prisoners; the vampire's lips formed a small smile again. Astrid was always so sinister.

And that was one of the reasons why she needed to find her. Now was the time for revenge as there was no way the murderer was just getting away with all this.

If Astrid was still alive, if their leader was still alive, then there was still hope for the Dark Brotherhood.

Babette had decided a long time ago that she was no leader; if it had been that case, then she would have started leading the Brotherhood a long time ago. After all, she was the most experienced one.

But right now, in situations like this one, she was unable to collect her thoughts. Perhaps she still had some childish fears. But she had been able to come up with one plan; to find Astrid.

Her thoughts were still racing about who the murderer might be.

You would need the password to get inside. The Black Door could not be broken or tricked.

She suspected this new recruit. This Dagmar. But if that was true, then what had happened to Astrid? Babette was basically counting on her to be alive; Astrid was the Brotherhood's last chance of survival. She _had _to be alive.

Besides, who was even powerful enough to beat Astrid?

"_The same person who killed them," _her dark thought reminded her bitterly.

Babette ignored it, and decided that the Penitus Oculatus could be suspects as well. The order had been breathing down their neck the last months; even Astrid had started to get just a bit nervous. Though, when Babette had mentioned it, the leader had promised to take care of it soon; they just had to put some fear into the hearts of the agents.

Perhaps they had been the ones storming the Sanctuary while she had been out hunting.

The little vampire tried to sleep; she would travel to Hjaalmarch tomorrow, but now she was just exhausted to the bones.

For the first time in decades, Babette truly felt lifeless.

* * *

It was the smell of smoke that woke her up. Reacting by instinct, she jumped off her bed and started running. The kitchen was already enveloped in flames, but as she entered the main center, she found coughing guards, all holding a torch each.

The vampire squinted as she watched them lit her friends' bodies on fire. Unsure of what to do, she just stared at them from above them.

One of the guards coughed, "I am not going any deeper. We will just end up like that," he said, pointing at the pile of burning bodies.

"Do I really have to do all the tough work again?" a guard said, appearing from Lis' nest that now was burning as well. Babette gasped silently as he knocked down what still remained on the table. The books were now destroyed by her potions, staining the pages. The guard walked through the broken glass from the bottles as if it did not bother him.

"Tough work?" another Falkreath guard mocked him. "Like putting this place on fire is anything compared to killing the monsters!"

"Just get it done already. I am missing the clean air."

Many things happened at once; the guard stepped towards the stairs so he could get to the remaining part of the Sanctuary; Babette did not move but met his glance; they drew their weapons while she rushed down towards them.

Babette was no warrior and she was very well aware of that. She only missed the first swing of the sword by leaning forward; she sprinted towards the opening, but her way was blocked.

One of the guards grabbed her arm tightly; it hurt enough to make her wince. "They did speak of an undead child," he growled.

Babette hissed, and before he could react, she had raised her free hand, only to bring down a dagger into his arm; just where the armor had stopped, leaving the flesh unprotected.

Though the wound was not lethal at all, she had poisoned the dagger a long time ago. The only reason why she as always carrying around that weapon was because of how useful it was when it came to buying time.

The guard loosened his grip on her arm, gasped and fell back onto his back; paralyzed.

Babette had to jump aside as an arrow flew past her. "Die, you beast!"

Unfortunately as she jumped, she came too close to the second guard. Though, instead of taking another swing with his sword, he used the torch. Babette shrieked as the bottom of dress burst into flames.

Her only thought was to get rid of the fire; and so she did. Leaping again, she sprung into the pool, smoke rising around her as the fire died.

She screamed angrily as the guard grabbed her by the hair. "I never thought I would be the one to kill a vampire," he said, pulling her towards the burning pile in the middle of the room. "I did not know there were small ones."

Babette shrieked again before twisting around to sink her fangs into his arm. The shock was visible on his face. His comrade was aiming his bow at them while the third guard was still lying on the ground.

The vampire was then slapped across her face, causing to fall backwards. The blood was dripping from her lips as she regained her composure.

"Damn…" the guard stuttered, looking at his wound. "Damn you!"

Babette was panting, licking the blood from her mouth. Her eyes narrowed as she made her decision; while the guard still was distracted by the bite, she leapt at him. Planting the blade in his neck, just where the armor ended, she forced him downwards. Not wasting time, she bit him again before he lost all his blood.

The only standing guard let out a strangled scream and fired his arrow. Luckily for Babette, his hands were shaking too much to aim properly, and the arrow hit the nearly dead guard in the chest instead of the vampire.

Hearing her victim take his last breath, Babette woozily rose. The room was filled with smoke and her instincts were screaming; she _hated _fire. Her whole being hated it.

But the blood had given her new strength. She noticed that the immobilized guard was slowly starting to move and the other one was readying his bow.

"You are dead!" he snarled at her. "You hear me?! You're dead! Just like the rest of your kind! All of you will be the destroyed! The Dark Brotherhood is no more! All thanks to the Dragonborn!"

Babette decided it was time to leave and rushed towards the exit. The arrow grazed her arm, but she did not slow down. The Black Door was open, allowing dark smoke to spread from the Sanctuary.

Her skin stung as the sun had just risen, but having fed twice, first on the hunt that had saved her life and just now with the guard, the mortals' blood protected her.

The burned legs hurt and the wound on her arm was as well, but Babette made sure that there was a great distance between her and the burning Sanctuary before reaching down in her pocket to find some healing potions. Though, before her hand touched the smooth glass of a bottle, she felt the leather that covered Astrid's journals.

Well, at least she was following the plan.

She had left the Sanctuary, though her heart still ached by the memory of the burning bodies, and now she was travelling to Hjaalmarch.

One thought was filling the vampire's tired mind,

"_I have to find Astrid." _

* * *

A/N: Dagmar is an old Danish name (I live in Denmark) and is pronounced "Dow-maar" in Danish (kinda). One of its meanings is "the glorious one". Of course we will hear more about her later, along with Cicero and Brynjolf.

Poor Babette. For those who know how this quest begins, well, they kind of know how the next chapter will start.

Please tell me your thoughts about this story. This is my first try for a long Skyrim story, so I am very excited to see how it goes. I hope you like it; I have been working on this story for months, as I rewrote the first chapter 5 times.


	2. Un-child

***Spoiler alert* **This chapter involves spoilers for the quests "Destroy the Dark Brotherhood", "Laid to Rest" and the "Thieves Guild quest line". There might even be more that I have forgotten to notice.

A/N: Wow! Thank you for such a warm welcome! It's always exciting to enter a new fandom, as it is quite different how often people review and such for each fandom. Even though I don't get as many reviews as I used to do as for my other fandoms, I am so so so happy to see so many favorites at just the first chapter! Thank you so much! :D You made me happy!

I do not own The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

**Bloodstained Smiles  
**_Un-child _

Babette had been wrong when she had thought that it could not be any worse. But sadly, she got another ugly surprise when she reached Morthal. Tired from her long journey; that had involved both being chased by sabre cats and almost getting noticed by a nasty-looking thief; she wanted a warm safe place to sleep.

She had tried such a situation before as she often had travelled all across Skyrim to fulfill her contracts. While her fellow assassins had rented a room whenever they had wanted to stay overnight (of course in a city where they had no bounty and where no one recognized them as killers), she had been forced to use her charm. Luckily, she was quite amazing when it came to acting.

So when the Hjaalmarch guard neared her, she made sure the tears were creating stripes in the dirt that covered her cheeks. "Oh, please help me!" she cried helplessly. "My Mama and Papa were attacked by wolves and I-"

The vampire trailed off as she noticed how the guard was still wearing his hostile expression. "Darn!" she muttered and turned around to run back into the forest.

"It's here! The undead child is here! I just saw it!" the guard yelled, causing people to step outside their houses to see what was going on. A nervous chatter spread through the small town.

The remaining guards came running, hearing the call. "Where is it? Where is the beast?"

"Somewhere in the marsh! Pathetic thing ran off before I could get close enough to take a swing with my axe."

"You should have cut off its head before it could escape! Now it's still on the loose!"

"Did you not hear what it did in Falkreath?! I am going to face it alone!"

"Send word to the nearby towns! Solitude should be safe enough, but the farms outside the wall are still in risk of getting attacked by the beast. Also make sure that the courier gets to Dragon Bridge as soon as possible; the Penitus Oculatus has specifically expressed their offer to let them take care of the monster."

While the guards were discussing, one lonely figure stepped out of her house just as the sun went down.

* * *

Babette was considering falling asleep just where she was standing, but hearing the rattle coming from the frost spiders' legs, she changed her mind. She hated the marsh just as much as any other traveler.

When she could finally see the shack, she almost slammed against the door a she opened it.

Silence.

There was some empty broken furniture, but nothing much. Babette noticed that in the corner of the room, there were lying pieces of rope and three execution hoods on the dirty floor. Astrid had obviously played her game; but it seemed like the game had gone wrong.

Speaking of Astrid…

Babette turned around and dropped her jaw in a silent scream. _Astrid… _"No, no, no, no, no," the poor vampire muttered as she fell to her knees next to the bloody mess that once had been her leader.

The Nord woman was covered in wounds, the sickly crimson color of blood covering her entire body. The biggest wound was near the stomach; Babette closed her eyes just after she saw a glimpse of the entrails.

And suddenly, Babette snapped.

She screamed; both in anger and in pain. She howled like if she truly was a beast. She clawed the floorboard with her tiny hands while cursing the name of the person who had destroyed her life.

Dagmar. It had to be her. She was completely sure now. Not only had the guards told her; she was now granted the evidence before her eyes.

The captives had been freed, Astrid had been killed, and from the trail of blood, the so-called Dragonborn must have dragged herself across the room and towards the door. But she had obviously survived; she had killed their leader but then finished her work by coming to the Sanctuary and killing the remaining assassins.

Babette cried without being aware of it. She felt like a mess. She looked like a mess. Her hair was tangled and filthy, her dress was reduced to rags clinging to her body, and her skin was covered in dirt and blood.

Astrid was gone… Veezara, Arnbjorn, Gabriella, Festus Krex and Nazir were gone… The Sanctuary was gone. The Brotherhood was gone.

But she was not gone. She was still here. She was the survivor; she was the only one left.

She was alone.

Babette could only remember one time where she had felt as lonely as now.

It was that night so many years ago. The night she was bitten. She remembered screams and pain… And when she woke up, she was alone. Her parents were gone, and her body felt different. Alone she had found out of what she had become. Alone she had satisfied her thirst for the first time…

The little vampire fell onto her back and smacked her head against the floor. The smell irritated her nostrils. Astrid's body was probably starting to rot.

Babette felt like she was doing the same.

Her plan had gone wrong. Heck, she no longer had a plan to follow. Astrid had been her last hope. Astrid was her leader; the one to tell her of what to do.

Now, she had absolutely nothing to follow.

Nothing but her desire to kill the Dragonborn. It was her only purpose right now. She would avenge her friends by every mean possible.

But… how?

This person had managed to kill _all _of her friends; comrades she had thought of some of the most deadly in all of Tamriel. And now she, a vampire stuck in a ten year old body, was going to fight the mighty Dragonborn?

Yeah, that would obviously end well.

Babette sighed and pulled herself together. Screaming like a baby would not help her with anything.

Okay. Breath. New plan. She could do that. She had survived on her own before.

First of all she had to find the Dragonborn. How to do that? Well, since everyone apparently knew of how this mighty Dagmar had slayed the Dark Brotherhood, perhaps new rumors would tell the vampire of where the Nord was.

In Astrid's journal, there had been talk about both the Companions and the Thieves Guild, but there was a great distance between Whiterun and Riften. Since she now was in Hjaalmarch, it would make sense that she first searched through the center of Skyrim before travelling to the Rift.

So now she just had to get up and… Well, getting up seemed like the hardest task right now.

The vampire blinked sleepily, but she did not want to sleep in the shack. Knowing Astrid's body was just next to her, she doubted she could sleep well.

Besides, there were still some hours before sunrise, and she should start travelling while it was night. Though she had found some poor farmers on her way to the marsh, her throat was still burning of thirst. Running in the sunlight was a bad idea.

She glanced sadly at Astrid's body. Even though Babette did not exactly want to touch the bloody mess, she also felt bad at the thought of just leaving the body here to rot. But she doubted she had the strength to bury her, and fire was no option.

"Hail Sithis," she muttered sadly and started to leave the small shack, almost dragging her legs after her. _"Poor, Astrid_," she thought, _"Poor, poor Astrid._" If the Nord somehow had seen how Dagmar's slaughter had continued, no doubt she would have blamed herself. Babette was sure of that. Astrid had been the first to be defeated, and after her, the rest had just fallen.

When Babette closed the door behind her, she promised Astrid that she would avenge them all.

* * *

"Stupid marsh," Babette cursed as her shoes were far from useful. Now her feet were wet, and she shivered at the thought of what she might was stepping on.

She was not thinking of travelling to Whiterun right now, but she needed to find a cave so she could rest. Even though Morthal was the closest city, she now knew that she could not go close to any village. Apparently, she now had a bounty on her head. Well, she had tried that before, kind of… Arresting a child was quite complicated. But she had been exposed throughout the centuries, but after some years, people seemed to forget the case about the vampire girl. She had always managed to escape before the execution…

A sound caused the vampire to freeze. Oh, how she was not in the mood for frost spiders right now. Well, she did like the poison she could get from their dead bodies, but she had no strength to fight right now.

And when she saw a person in the distance, her mood grew even worse. Did she really have to be chased around all the time?! Did she not, of all people, deserve some rest?

But the figure did not draw any weapon. Slowly sneaking closer, though it was hard in the muddy water, Babette tried to get a better view. It was a woman with dark hair and dark clothes…

Babette suddenly felt like she was seeing an old family member. Not only because the woman also was a Breton; but because it was a vampire.

Though, Babette did not let her guard down. She had met vampires before and not all had been friendly. Not at all. Though she had made some friends over the years, they always had a hard time getting used to Babette's ways of living.

For a moment the two vampires stared at each other.

Then the stranger pulled her lips back into a smile. "I found you," she said sweetly. "They were right after all." She reached out her arm. "An un-child."

Babette stared at the hand as if she was not sure of what it was. She then crossed her arms, squinting. She did not realize how foolish she looked; a dirty, lost child trying to act like a grown-up. "Do I know you?"

"No. I am not that old." The red eyes were sparkling so strangely, like she just had seen a new wonder. "So small," she whispered, but Babette heard it.

"And do you know me?"

"They said they had seen you. The little child with the immortal eyes." She took some step closer, her footsteps splashing in the dark water. "I've been sent here to help you."

Babette's body tensed up. "By who? I would like to know who were interested enough to risk their skin to find me." She grabbed some of her dirty hair, playing with it. "The guards are not exactly excited to see me."

"Alva told me about you. She then talked to the Master." She tilted her head, eying her from the dirty dress to the red eyes.

"I don't-"

"He wants to see. He said he could help you. I am here to bring you to him."

"And who are you?"

The vampire hesitated for a moment. "Laelette," she then said. "Come with me, child."

Babette decided that the situation was rather creepy, but right now, being surrounded by other vampires might grant her some effective protection. She had only lifted her hand an inch, but Laelette obviously saw it as a sign of accept and quickly grabbed the hand.

Though, the grip was gentle. The two pair of red eyes met; Babette's rather confused, while Laelette stared in her in what looked like a mix between wonder and admiration. "Child," she muttered again, and started walking; slowly pulling Babette along.

The little vampire sighed. "Yes, I know; I am adorable."

It had been a while since someone truly had treated her like a child. The members of the Brotherhood had quickly learned that she was not what she looked like; though, she could often charm them with her childish look to get what she wanted. It had only been the mortals that had completely fallen for her forced disguise.

"Come, child," Laelette called as they walked together. "Come, Helgi."

Babette, too tired to do anything but follow, did not correct her. Besides, Laelette seemed a bit crazy, so the little name-mistake probably did not mean anything.

Just as the sun rose, they reached the cave. Laelette pulled her inside. "Master Movarth wants to see you."

* * *

Far away from Movarth's layer, another person was welcomed home. Dagmar climbed down the stairs, almost jumping down when she was halfway; it felt good to be back.

"Dagmar," Rune greeted her, letting go of the spoon to wave at her. "Nice to have you back!"

She smiled at him but did not stop her walking. "Thank you. It smells good," she commented before turning around the corner to walk towards the Ragged Flagon.

"Lass," someone called after her.

"Give me a minute, Brynjolf," she said sternly. "I just need to deliver this to Delvin." She held a golden necklace in her left hand. She pushed the door open and walked through the wardrobe until she found herself in the hidden inn.

"So," Delvin looked over his shoulder as he sensed her presence, "you're back."

"Of course I am," she answered sweetly and put the jewelry down on his plate. "And I believe I've earned my pay."

"You sure took your time," he said as he searched through his pockets to find his purse, "Almost got us worried."

"I appreciate your concern," she said sitting down on the chair in front of him. "And, you were right about your worry."

Delvin lifted an eyebrow. "Oh," he said shortly. "We did hear some certain rumors."

"Did any of you make plans of coming to me rescue?" she asked mockingly. "Good thing I am a big girl, isn't it?"

"Did you really kill them?" His voice surprised her; it did not show any emotions at all.

Dagmar eyed him closely. "Yes," she said with a proud voice. "The Guild can get the reward; I don't care."

"Then why did you do it?"

"Because I was kidnapped." She rose from her chair. "And forced to kill. I just made the right choice."

Delvin tilted his head. "You could have been damn good assassin."

"Surely. But I am a thief, Delvin." She smiled teasingly. "And I bloody good one." She held her head high as she walked back to the Cistern. "Besides, you would miss me too much if I left the Guild."

"Good to have you back," he muttered before she closed the door after her. He then sighed and took a big bite of his horker loaf.

Vekel the Man had watched the entire scene from the bar. "You should have told her, Delvin," he said to the thief as he came closer, a broom in his hand.

"It ain't none of her business," the Breton said darkly before hiding his face with his tankard as he satisfied his thirst with a big gulp of Nord mead.

"The others will tell her."

"Then let them do it." Delvin looked at him. "Astrid knew the consequences of what she was doing. She made a wrong choice when she chose Dagmar; and she has paid for that mistake. Can't say I don't feel sorry for her, but I'll live on. So will the Guild. It would be something else if little Dagmar had killed Maven." He shuddered. "_That _would be a problem."

"If I know the girl right, then she'll come and apologize."

"For what?" he asked. "Dealing with the group of assassins that has been harassing the land for as long as anyone can remember? Nah," he drank again, "let her do what she wants. There's nothing we can do about it now."

* * *

"You were away longer than my liking, lass. Where were you?" Brynjolf asked her when she entered the training room.

"I was busy," she said shortly and drew her bow. With steady hands she let the arrow fly; hitting the training dummy in the stomach. She glanced over her shoulder to meet his eyes. "Curious?"

He crossed his arms. "Ain't funny, lass. From what we heard, you challenged the Dark Brotherhood." He furrowed his brows. "Not a smart thing to do."

"It ended well," she defended herself. "And I was not careless. I remembered to bring some healing potions this time."

"I bet you needed it. You just killed the most dangerous group in all of Skyrim."

She showed him her white teeth. "The reward was not that big though." Dagmar let go of her bow to throw a heavy purse at him. He caught it easily. "3,000," she told him. "For getting rid of the Dark Brotherhood."

Brynjolf fluted in admiration. "That's quite some coin."

"Still," she said, not satisfied at all. "The Dark Brotherhood. All six members. And a frost spider."

"Frost spider?"

She nodded. "They kept it as a pet." She shrugged lightly. "But the leader was the hardest to defeat." The Nord paused and bit her lip. "It was not my choice. She had the key and I…" She trailed off. "I did not know what to do," she admitted. "So I fought."

"You impressed me, lass," Brynjolf said. "Astrid was not an easy opponent."

"Astrid," the Nord mused. "I did not know her name until Commander Maro told me. You've fought her before?"

He scratched the back of his neck, unsure of what to say. "I knew her. She'd been here a couple of times before."

Dagmar accidently dropped her jaw. "What?"

"Delvin knew her. She only came here the few times she wanted business with us." He noticed the distressed expression she was wearing. "Look, what's done is done. The Brotherhood weren't clients."

"You just told me I killed Delvin's friend." She looked directly into his eyes. "Aren't I supposed to feel bad?"

"They weren't close," Brynjolf said, shrugging it off. "For what I know he hadn't heard from her in years. If you want details about their relationship, talk to Delvin yourself."

Dagmar raised her bow again. "I don't regret my decision back there. I've lost someone to the Dark Brotherhood before; it's about time they got stopped." She fired and hit her mark. "But thank you for telling me."

"Just thought you should know before bragging about it in front of Delvin."

"Me? Bragging? Never." She wore a sly smile. "Though, the Companions were quite eager to hear about the attack."

She saw him set his jaw as he did every time she mentioned the warriors of Jorrvaskr. "I'm sure the others want to hear about your adventures as well. Oh, and Vex got a job for you."

"Really?" she asked, placing the bow on her back. "What about you? Has anything exciting happened here while I was gone?"

"Nothing, except Vipir getting slapped by a female Imperial he tried to pickpocket in Windhelm."

"Really?"

"Oh, he tried to hide it, but the red mark on his cheek revealed everything."

Dagmar let her head fall back as she laughed. "You should soon grant me a mission, Brynjolf. The others might start suspecting that you have just become lazy."

He hid his smile well. "Just go help Vex, lass."

* * *

A/N: So what did you think of it? I hope I got the Thieves Guild personality right. Oh, and don't worry; Laelette and Movarth will only play a small role in this story. Thank you for your support so far!


	3. The Oldest Eyes

***SPOILER ALERT* **This chapter contains spoilers for "The Dark Brotherhood" and "Laid to Rest", and probably a lot of other quests. Don't like spoilers, don't read fanfiction. You have now been warned.

A/N: Again, thank you for your wonderful support. It is so nice to see that others enjoy this plot as well.  
I do not own The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

**Bloodstained Smiles  
**_The Oldest Eyes_

Babette sighed happily as she let herself fall deeper down in the chair. It was nice to be able to rest, though she suspected she soon would have to talk.

Movarth had not impressed her. Sure, he acted like he was the High King of Skyrim, but a king would never be hiding in a cave.

Though, she whistled slightly when she saw how much company she was now was having. "Someone has been a busy bee," she said sweetly.

The Dunmer raised an eyebrow as he sat down on his throne. "My thralls have been a great help for me. So have my fellow vampires. But I see that you travel alone?" He smiled slightly, showing of his fangs.

Babette's mouth became a thin line. "Yes, but I do believe you have heard the rumors."

"The tragedy? Yes, gossip spreads fast; even to Morthal. A shame indeed. The Dark Brotherhood has always been a source of amusement for me. But do not dwell upon the past. We still have centuries to overcome, my dear."

Her tired eyes widened slightly when she heard what he called her. Her smile then returned. "Oh," she said. "I believe I have seen plenty. Sadly, the Dark Brotherhood has been most of my life; more precisely I have spent more than two hundred years on being an assassin; I am going to miss that way of living."

"I am sure you have other interests."

"I've never been a warrior. Or a thief, for that sake. Or a mage. Besides, I doubt the College would let any child join them."

The red eyes shined from the other end of the table. "I can promise you, that you would be quite a wonder for them to study."

"Perhaps. A shame I am being chased all over Skyrim." She picked up the loaf of bread that had been placed on the plate. "I wonder how big my bounty is," she said before taking a big bite.

Movarth tilted his head slightly. "Your hunger did not drive you here. But we all know the pain of the thirst… and I can satisfy yours if only you ask."

"You hold prisoners?"

"Even the mortals keep storages for their food. Why should we not?"

"I…" Babette had to keep herself from grasping her throat. The offer was almost hurting as she had to reject; for now. If she started feeding, she would lose her concentration, and she believed that she would have to stay sharp when having a conversation with this Master Vampire. "Perhaps we could wait until after our conversation? I would hate to leave you waiting."

He waved it off. "Oh, I have the time."

Babette set her jaw. "Let me correct myself; I would hate waiting for you to tell me why you have brought me here."

The vampire Dunmer laughed at her honesty. "I understand why you are curious. But I do hope you are not accusing me of alluring you here?"

"I understand that you want to help me. I have just not been told why." It felt a bit nice; finally letting go of the whole illusion of being a child. Movarth, being a vampire just like her, knew exactly what she was. Treating her like a child would be humiliating for both of them.

Actually, the way she was sitting at the dinner table, with a wine, dinner and an interesting conversation, Babette felt like a woman. Not that she was attracted to Movarth, not at all. She respected him; finally she had found someone just as old as herself; but she did not trust him.

Movarth had plenty of other vampires to fulfill every command he may have; why would he need her?

"Immortals like _us _are quite unique. Not many survive the centuries. I am delightful finally having found someone who has seen just as much as I."

Babette flinched slightly. "But of course you would like to be the oldest?" she asked, hitting the subject head-on. "It's quite an honor, being able to say that you surpass them all. Perhaps you are seeing me as a threat?"

"That completely depends on you, my dear. Though, I do not believe that many find you frightening."

"Oh, I have caused some screams." She took a sip of wine and cringed at the taste. "When I wanted to."

"But I did not bring you here just to get rid of you. That would be such an awful waste."

"And helping me will grant you what? A heart? Being able to sleep at night, knowing you have helped a small child?" She wanted to stop, but she was tired and irritated. Movarth reminded her nothing of her friends and she was only staying here because it was foolish to go outside. "Or perhaps you want a partnership?"

"I don't believe you are able to give me anything," he said sternly, though it sounded like he was bored. "As you said; you are no warrior, mage or thief. You can cut some throats and mix some potions… But I have no need of any of that. But do you know why they follow me? How I was able to create an army of vampires, ready to attack Morthal when the time is right?"

Babette then noticed they were alone in the room; the other vampires had left along with their thralls. "Perhaps you threatened them?"

"Fear can bring you many things but not loyalty." Movarth leaned back in his chair, eying her while stroking his own small beard. "I would to hear of when you were born, but am I right when I say that you have forgotten that one important detail?"

She lowered her glance. "About three hundred years."

"We are about the same age then. We know more than any mortal. We have seen more. We have knowledge, we have power. When they respect my age they respect me. They know I can lead them into something great. That is why they follow me."

"But if your theory is right, then I should deserve just as much respect?" Babette asked, getting her curiosity back. "Oh, your worry is not necessary. I am no leader."

"Truly? With the recent happenings, I believe you are now the leader of the Dark Brotherhood. Not that it worries me."

Babette scowled, trying to hide the fact that she was hurting. "There is not much to lead."

"True. But to the point of where I can help. Whole Skyrim has heard of you by now. Every child without their parents gets stopped by the guards before it is confirmed that it is mortal. You can't run."

"So I can stay here?"

"For time's being. But that won't bring you anywhere close to the Dragonborn. Instead, I believe Falion can help you."

She blinked. "Falion?"

"You disappoint me, _Babette_." It sounded like he had a tough time forming the name with his mouth. "We are talking about the man who has the cure of Sanguinare Vampiris."

"There is no cure," Babette retorted sharply.

"I would have said so too, if not I had seen him performing the sacrament some few years ago. Time change, _Little One_."

"You…" Babette stammered. "You want me to become mortal again?"

"It's not my choice," he snorted. "But it is the only way you can get close to the Dragonborn. And also the only way you can win her trust. From what I hear, I don't believe you can take her down, not even with a sneak attack. So unless you want to the chance of facing either her or the guards, or you can of course fled from Skyrim. But I would consider taking Falion's offer."

He threw something at her, and she let out a surprised whelp as she was too tired to react properly. The item landed in her lap. Babette picked it up carefully and squinted. "A Black Soul Gem," she concluded. "Filled. It's been a while since I have had once of these."

"You will have to use it to pay Falion. However, if I was you, I would wait some days until the guards have forgotten about your little episode."

"I haven't chosen anything," Babette said with her tiny voice.

"You can stay here till you wish to either leave or meet him," Movarth said, no care in his voice. "You are dismissed."

Babette gaped; the dinner had started friendly enough. She tried to glare darkly at him, but he seemed completely untouched.

Getting of her chair, she staggered to her feet, walking away from the dining hall; Movarth's eyes piercing through her back.

She briefly considered thanking him, at least he had provided her a safe place to stay, but then she realized that he only was doing this so no one could question his power.

Once she was mortal again, there would be no more ancient vampires around here but him.

Wait… Was she really taking his offer?

Ignoring the many eyes that were following her as she walked through the cave, she held her head high until she found an empty corner. There she lay down and curled into a tight ball, ignoring the fact that her body was sore and her mind was racing.

Right now she needed sleep; she had not rested since before she had gone on the hunt that had saved her life.

The cave was strange and the many new scents were disturbing her. But when she closed her eyes, she slept.

* * *

_Her body was burning. Her skin was stinging in a familiar way; she must be in the sunlight. Weird; she could not see the sun. _

_But it hurt. It hurt so badly she wanted to break out of her body just to get it to stop. _

_She screamed in pain, but it was words that left her mouth. It was names. _

_All her comrades were walking from her, and she screamed and screamed. _

_Astrid looked over her shoulder to send her a disappointed glance, like a mother scolding a child. _

_Babette watched them all disappear, unable to move. She felt like she soon would crumble to ash as she kept staring. _

_Veezara was the last to go; Babette called out for her brother but he turned away. She wanted to grab his hand and plead for him to stay so she would not be alone; but he was too far from her and she could not move. _

_And her skin burned and burned with no fire. _

Babette woke up, shivering. When she realized she was crying, she slowly sat up, wrapping her arms around her dirty body.

If course she would get nightmares; what else would she suspect? She wiped away the tears with the back of her hand, but they kept streaming from her red eyes.

Stupid Dragonborn! Stupid, stupid, stupid…!

She started sobbing, small hiccups leaving her throat. Just great… The memory of the tragedy made her childish fears come back.

Oh, how she wished she still had her family. She wanted Veezara to hold her while the two of them told stories all night. The Argonian has always had a soft spot for her; he had been the one who had found it hardest to get used to the thought that she was indeed 300 years old.

Gabriella had been a close member too. The two of them had shared a passion for alchemy and while the Dunmer had seemed pretty shy and distant, she had opened up for the small vampire. Once, Babette had revealed her fear of being left alone, and had asked Gabriella if she wanted to be bitten. They could both have been vampires.

The Dunmer had rejected the offer as gently as possible; saying that perhaps in some years she would have another opinion about death.

Babette wished she had said yes, though. Perhaps she then would have been alive…

"Child?"

The little vampire got so surprised she accidently slammed her head into the cave wall. "Ouch," she muttered and rubbed the sore spot. Returning her glance to where the voice had come from, she saw the vampire who had fetched her, Laelette, crunching down to be on eye-height with her.

Babette blinked; how long had she been sitting there? "What are you doing?"

"You're crying."

And that was something Babette already knew. "Yes," she answered.

Then something happened she had not expected. Laelette picked her up and pressed her against her chest. Babette first widened her eyes in surprised, but her stressed body slowly started to calm down. Laelette started muttering soothing sounds into her ear, and for a moment Babette managed to fool herself into believing she was in her family's arms. It did not matter of it was Veezara or Gabriella; heck, it could even be Festus for as much as she cared! She just wanted the Dark Brotherhood to be here with her.

Even though Babette was very much aware of her own age, it felt nice being comforted like the little child she somehow still was.

* * *

Babette spent 24 days at Movarth's layer. The most of the time was spent with Laelette; sometimes not by choice as the vampire would not leave her alone.

After her first night in the cave, she had washed herself. When she finally was done, a prisoner was offered to her so she could satisfy her thirst, and a new dress was placed next to her old rags. Laelette had insisted she could make a new one if the other dress was too big. But Babette liked it; it looked very much like her old one, though, the pockets were smaller; the only thing she disliked about it. She could have asked Laelette to fix it, but something kept her from asking.

She stayed away from most of the other vampires; especially Movarth. The days were spent reading Astrid's journals, all while Laelette was gently playing with her hair. In the start, Babette had been suspicious if the dark-haired Nord in reality was trying to read the important books, but she had now dismissed that thought.

For all she knew, Laelette was closed to be called crazy. When she had quietly asked the one of the servants, she had come to know that Laelette had once lived in Morthal; her family was actually still living there. She had been forced to leave her husband- and her child.

Apparently, she was missing that child so deeply, that she had started to become obsessed with children. She heard of a certain accident where Alva (whom she guessed was Laelette's master; Laelette talked a lot about her) had ordered her to burn down a house where a woman and her child had been sleeping soundly. Laelette had regretted her action and had tried to turn the child in the lost moment; but it had failed, and now her obsession had only grown worse.

But Babette liked the attention, and did not ask her to leave.

Now, she was lying on her stomach, reading one of the journals that had been written years ago. It felt nice, being brought back to situations that had happened so long ago. Before everything had changed.

She read about the time she and Arnbjorn had tried hunting down the same victim; resulting in a giant discussion, a bloody mess and her leaving the Sanctuary for three weeks. When she finally had returned, the tone had changed a bit. Nevertheless, she and Arnbjorn had agreed to forgive each other. There had been peace… until she had let out another doggy-joke.

Babette smiled at the memories.

She read about the times one of them had been captured and had served their time in jail. The mood in the Sanctuary was always gloomy when one of them was in the hands of the guards.

The latest journal, the one she had read when she had searched for information about the Dragonborn, was a bit different. The first part was written months ago, then it changed into the description of Dagmar and some clients coming to meet the Brotherhood.

Babette furrowed her brows.

Astrid seemed more discreet than she had been in the first journals. The sentences were short without going into details. It was very clear that this book was only meant for Astrid to read. Some names were shortly mentioned without explaining who they were. Even Babette had to give up; in the end, she had no idea of who Astrid was speaking up. But it seemed like the leader had made great plans before the massacre had happened. A lot of clients were coming from all over Tamriel to use their service.

Babette sighed and closed the book. Dwelling in the past would not help her. Laelette drew away when she sat up.

She had made a small hay pile to sleep upon, even though she had been offered a bed. But she had gotten used to her little corner where everyone (exclusive Laelette) would leave her alone.

"I am tired," Babette spoke, "I will see you tomorrow, Laelette."

The vampire looked hurt and confused for a moment, which happened every time Babette dismissed her. The little vampire sighed and tried, "You said you were supposed to play with Helgi?" She had no idea of who Helgi was, but Laelette constantly talked about her; so often she accidently forgot Babette's name.

Laelette nodded and turned away, slowly disappearing into the shadows.

Babette placed the journal with the others before lying down to go to sleep. She knew she soon would have to make her choice as she could not stay here forever.

She did not know of what to think about the offer. First, she was unsure if it even was true or not. She had never heard of a cure before, and she did not know if she believed it. For so many years ago, when she had been bitten, she had wished to be normal again.

But time had changed and she was not so sure of what she wanted now. True, if she became a mortal, then she would have the most amazing disguise. But was it worth it? She would no longer be able to live forever (of course she could be killed while being vampire, but time had never been a problem), but she would age… But was that not something good? She could finally grow so her body could match her mind.

In the state between sleep and consciousness, Babette imagined herself grown up. She would still be slim, but taller; so tall that she could look them in the eyes. And she would be stronger; she would finally be able to train her muscles so she could swing a sword or ready an arrow on a bow. She would finally be a warrior, deadly, but still as beautiful as she always had been told…

Babette widened her eyes. It was perfect! She would take the offer, become a mortal, avoid the guards and find the Dragonborn… And when she had reached the age she wanted, when her body had grown to the point where she no longer was just a child, she would be bitten again. She could probably make a deal with either Movarth or Laelette… And she did have some vampire friends around Tamriel.

The little vampire jumped up from her bed and grabbed the Dark Soul Gem that was lying next to the journals.

* * *

A/N: I know; pretty calm chapter. I just wish I could jump to the point where Babette meets the Thieves Guild! Oh, and also for those you might wonder; Cicero will make an appearance in either the next or the fifth chapter!  
So will Babette really stop being a vampire? And in that case, for how long?  
Please review to tell me what you think! I am open for many ideas if there is something special you want to happen!


	4. Bother and Befuddle!

A/N: Thank you for your support! I am absolutely happy to keep getting favorites! I seriously pump my fist into the air every time! It makes me so so so so so happy! So thank you! Again, if you feel like sharing your thoughts, you are very welcome to review!

I do not own The Eder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

**Bloodstained Smiles  
**_Bother and Befuddle! _

"I call upon Oblivion Realms, the home of those who are not our ancestors. Answer my plea! As in death there is new life, in Oblivion there is a beginning for that which has ended. I call forth that power! Accept the soul that we offer! As the sun ends the night, end the darkness of this soul, return life to the creature you see before you!"

Darkness.

For a moment Babette truly experienced solitude; blind and deaf and unable to move. Though, one thundering sound hurt her ears.

The constant drumming of her own heartbeat.

Wait… Heartbeat?

Her vision returned and she faintly heard Falion saying, "The ritual is complete."

Seeing him leave, he ran after him, grabbing his arm. "So it worked?" she asked. "I am a real girl now?"

"I probably would not call you a girl, after hearing about how long you have been a vampire. But yes; you are a mortal now. And if you would excuse me; I will have to return to my work before anyone notices me quite so mysterious morning trip."

"And you won't tell anyone?" she asked him nervously.

"I thought we made the agreement when you handed me the coin purse," he said a bit irritated.

Movarth had given her five hundred of coins to convince the conjurer to stay quiet. "Oh," Babette said as if she first remembered now. "I would just be in a lot of problems if anyone found out."

"Then stay out of Morthal," Falion replied sharply. "You may look different to me, but the guards still remember you as the Nigh-Spawn who haunts their town."

"Yes, Master Falion," she said as sweetly as possible. The Redguard looked at her for one final time, before turning his back to her.

Once she was alone, Babette let out a deep sigh. She had done it. She was a living creature once again.

And that was weird.

Babette spread out her arms to see if anything had changed. Well, she was not thirsty. But she knew that sooner or later, she would feel the mortals' needs.

Wait… Did she really have to eat food again? Like _real _food? Nazir had sometimes forced her to taste some of his stews… She had been closed to vomiting, but the others shared the same reaction. The Redguard's cooking had always been terrible.

Babette frowned at the thought of Nazir, but then pushed the thought away. She had promised herself that she would no longer cry; she would simply forget how much she missed them, and instead completely focus on the revenge.

So… That was it? Three hundred years of being a vampire and now it was just over? Babette comforted herself with the thought that she would become a child of death once again when the time was right. But still, the whole situation made her feel awfully small; like a child waking up to find herself lost in darkness.

Once she stood outside the cave, she hesitated. She was mortal now; weak. If Movarth wanted, he could kill her so easily.

She wanted to say goodbye to Alva, though. But Movarth had been sure she had been lured away when Babette left the cave; it had been important that she had faced Falion on her own.

Babette backed away from the cave and walked towards the hollow tree trunk where she had hidden Astrid's journals. She had not trusted Movarth or any of the other vampires enough to leave them behind while heading to the Ritual.

Those were everything she had right now. Babette remembered with a snort that she had even lost her fangs. What did she have left?

Hoping that she would not regret this important choice, Babette set her eyes on the horizon and started to walk. Well, at least she did not longer have to worry about the sun.

* * *

"Nice blade you have there," Brynjolf commented as he watched her train.

Thrynn nodded. "You should have seen the training dummy she just ripped to pieces. Continue with that, and we need a dummy graveyard."

"Too bad you can't use it," Brynjolf said to remind her. "At least not while dealing with a job."

She twirled around, the blade still stuck in the fake-warrior's chest. "I know the rules, Bryn," she said quietly. "But Skyrim isn't as peaceful as it used to be."

The redhaired thief leaned against the wall to take a closer look at the blade. "Are you considering selling it?" he asked. "You would get quite the price, I am sure."

"I would buy it," Thrynn said. "Or we could make a bet."

"Ain't gonna happen, Thrynn," Dagmar told him. "Besides, this one cost me too much trouble to get rid of. However, I am looking for some information about it. Do you think Delvin help me?"

"When can't Delvin help you?"

"Romance," she answered flatly. "Poor Del has not improved ever since I got here."

"And neither the years before," Brynjolf grinned. "But go ask him if he knows of it."

She shielded the dagger and found her bow instead. "I probably will."

Brynjolf looked from one thief to another. "What are you even doing here? Poor Vex says she got more jobs than even you can handle by yourself, Dagmar. Both of you should offer your hands and get some coins."

"Unlike you, Brynjolf, Thrynn and I know that it is necessary to defend yourself once we are out travelling, _because _of a job."

Thrynn looked away, not wanting to be a part of this discussion, while Brynjolf furrowed his brows and looked at the slim Nord. "You are saying I can't defeat myself?" he asked, almost humor in his voice.

Dagmar put her arms on her hips. "I am just saying that you haven't been out of the Cistern since the day we took care of Mercer. You need some sunlight; it'll lighten up your day."

"Very funny, lass."

"You can take the job Vex offered me," Thrynn said with a snort. "Like I want to travel all the way to Solitude to get a petty silver ring. There are plenty of better goods to steal right here in Riften."

"Ay," Brynjolf said. "But Vex doesn't want those in Riften, so you better get going."

The former bandit left the room, all while scowling and muttering, "I swear, I'll just buy a damn ring from the Market; she's never going to learn the difference."

Dagmar chuckled as she raised her bow again. "Don't worry, Brynjolf. I'll be leaving tomorrow and you won't be seeing me any time soon."

"You sound like I want to get rid of you, lass."

"Nah," she said shrugging it off. "You just want me to sharpen my skills. I know I have been losing my touch lately."

He nodded slowly and took a step closer. "That's what happens when you remove your focus from the guild."

"I just could not risk getting caught with stolen item. Not when I am supposed to help," she sighed and caressed the blade with a finger, careful not to cut herself. "A warrior and a thief. Mixing those paths is hard. Too different things are expected."

"Ay," he said. "Too much pressure." Catching her glance, the thief added, "And don't go starting it again. The decision's been made and we chose you, lass."

"But I don't want to be your Guildmaster," she muttered. "I can't. Too busy with… well, all the other stuff."

"You're right about that. Bet the next thing we hear about you is that you joined the bloody college." When Dagmar walked towards the exit, he sighed and put an arm on her shoulder. "But you are the only one here who _can. _Trust me. I've seen enough skills to know a true thief when I see her."

Brynjolf smiled when she did not pull away from him. The Nord woman sighed as if the weight of High Hrothgar had been lifted from her shoulders. "Thanks, Bryn," she said softly. "I needed that."

* * *

One month. Babette has pushed away all thoughts of growing up and promised herself that she would only be living for a month at longest.

And all because being an immortal was the worst thing she had ever experienced in her three hundred years of being.

Well, having a heartbeat again had been pretty exciting; until the drumming sound would not leave her ears as she ran. Running had become a real pain; being mortal had apparently weakened her stamina noticeable.

Her feet were sore and the dress Laelette had given her was now looking just as worn as the old one had been. The travel from Morthal had been harder than expected; whenever she had spotted someone on the road, she had jumped into hiding until they had passed. She was still aware of the enormous bounty that must be hanging over her head.

So when she had reached a quiet bandit camp, she had entered it with strained senses as she looked for any possible threats. But all the bandits lay dead. Whoever had been there before the girl had taken care of them all; perhaps a request coming from the ruling Jarl?

Finding food and sleep rolls in the camp, she had decided to stay overnight, and she had woke up the next morning, she had picked up a knife and cut her hair to disguise herself even more. Looking in her reflection in the nearby river, she had cringed at the sight of the tots of hair that was pointing in different directions. The tots were no longer than her thumb; like a girl failing to get the short hair of a boy, or a boy whose mother had grabbed a blade and cut the hair in a rush when it had become too long for her liking.

But it would grow out again. Eventually.

It felt so weird, walking in the sun with no worries about burning up. She had crossed the plains of Whiterun, a long figure walking in the tall grass.

The plan was so clear in her mind, she knew exactly when to do. First check Whiterun; the Dragonborn was a part of the Companions. She did not look forward to the meeting with the respected warriors; she had heard too many tales from Arnbjorn to be fond of the group.

She shook her head to get rid of the forbidden names.

The task of killing the Dragonborn did not worry her; she had killed so many times before it had become a habit; a way to survive. And even if she did fail, she would die in the attempt to avenge her siblings; an honorable way to die, even though Sithis probably did not care about honor.

But what worried was the task she would have to accept if she succeeded her first mission. She was the last assassin of the Dark Brotherhood, and therefore she had somehow gotten Astrid's role of being the leader of the Brotherhood.

But what was there left to lead?

As she neared the gates of Whiterun city, she let out a giant sight. So far, so good. She had managed to get here without being eaten by a pack of wolves or one of the saber cats she had spotted lurking around in the distance while travelling.

"Halt!"

Babette froze, cursing mentally with words she had learned over the ages.

The guard placed himself in front of her with crossed arms. Her glance travelled to the sword that was handing by his waist. "Where're your parents, kid? We don't need another beggar around here, not even a small one."

"My parents…" The girl trailed off when the tears appeared in her now brown eyes. "Dead," she sniffed. "I… I am just here to see if my aunt is still alive."

"Aunt you say? You give me her name, and I'll help you find her."

Babette bit her lip as she searched through every possible answer. "Olava," she then muttered, remembering Gabriella's friend.

The guard looked surprised; she could almost see his brows furrow through the helmet. "The feeble? Didn't know she had any family… Come along," he said and opened the gate for her. She followed obediently with her head lowered.

"She's usually by her house," the guard said as they entered the city. Babette glanced at the houses with widened eyes; oh, how she had always loved Whiterun. Such peace… Well, there had been peace until one of her contracts brought her here. The girl hid a wicked smile as she remembered some of her murders.

The inhabitants stared at her as they walked, and she stayed close to the guard who now looked down at her. "You hungry?" She nodded slightly and he handed her a loaf of bread.

They neared a very small house, it could almost just as well be a shack. An elderly woman was sitting on a bench in front of it. Babette recognized her immediately; it had been years since Gabriella had brought her with her to visit the soothsayer, but she never forgot a face like this. The seer had always been a subject of interest for the girl.

Olava looked up when they came closer. It was clear she had not expected them to face her. "Oh my," she said quietly. "Is there anything I can help with?"

"Yes," the guard said, gently pushing Babette closer. "This girl claims to be your niece. Found her wandering outside the city gates."

When the seer hesitated, Babette reacted quickly. "Aunt Olava!" she sniffed. "It's me Aina. Gabriella's daughter."

Olava blinked slowly. "Gabriella's girl?"

"Yes," the girl said before rushing forward to burrow her face in her dress. "Oh, aunt, it's so awful. They… They are all gone and I, I just did not know what to do." She held back a sob. "Pa said I should run and I-"

"Hush, my dear. You need to slow down for me to understand." Olava looked up to meet the guard's glance. "I can handle it from here. Thank you very much for you kindness."

After some seconds of hesitation, the guard turned around to leave. Letting out a revealed breath, Babette pulled away. She stood there, awkwardly rubbing her arm. "Yeah, I am Gabriella's friend."

Olava nodded slowly. "I remember you. How is she?"

The girl paused. "You… don't know?"

"I only trust what I see, girl, not what I hear from petty rumors."

"Gabriella's dead. They all are. I am the only one left from the…" She lowered her tone so no one besides the seer could hear her next word, "the Brotherhood."

"Again, the rumors are proving to be wrong," the woman muttered. "But I am afraid I can't help you, dear. Unless you came for a reading?"

The girl shook her head. "I think I will wait to see how the future turns out." It felt good, talking to someone friendly. "Do you have any food I can take? I am awfully hungry."

Olava opened the door for her and the child started ransacking the house. Minutes later, Babette was sitting on her bed, swallowing the last bite of a sweet roll. "I won't stay for long," she promised. "I just need to pay the Companions a short visit; oh, don't worry," she said sweetly, seeing Olava's expression, "I just need to ask them some questions about a certain member." She sighed. "The Dark Brotherhood doesn't really accept contracts at the moment."

"I've always stayed out of your business, though I never minded granting Gabriella the help I could give."

Babette licked her lips. "You were a very dear friend of her. She told me that." She started swing her feet back and forth in a childlike nature. "That's why I am here. To avenge them." Standing up, she tried to brush come of the dust off her already hopelessly dirty dress. "If I don't get the answer I am looking for, I'll be on my way. If anyone asks, just tell them I pretended to be your niece or something. I do look like a beggar after all. Perhaps even a thief." She smiled brightly. "And thank you."

"You can return to get a foretelling one day. I sense great things coming to you."

The girl cringed at the words. "Perhaps. But I do believe things will get interesting from here."

* * *

"So she is not here?"

Vilkas stared at the girl with questions in his eyes. Dagmar had not mentioned this girl before, never. And yet, here he was talking with a small beggar girl. "No, she left saying she had to take care of business. But what to you want with the Harbinger?"

Babette gaped. "Harbinger?" she asked. "But I thought she was the Dragonborn."

"She is both. But why do you need her?" He kneeled down to be in eye-height with her. "Do you need any help?"

"No, I just wanted to see her. They say she is the greatest hero of all time." Babette tilted her head and sighed. "I'll just come back another day then. Or… Do you know where she went?"

"Solitude, but she can be all over Skyrim now." The werewolf looked her over again. "Do you need somewhere to stay?"

"I can take care of myself," she replied sharply, but then returned to her role. "But thank you!" With that she quickly turned around to run out of the yard and disappear behind the round corner of Jorrvaskr.

Vilkas scratched the back of his neck, still worried and confused. He never liked the thought of citizens not having a safe place at night, and his heart cringed at the thought of homeless children. But what could he do?

"So who was she?" his brother asked. Farkas had been watching the scene while resting against the wall of Whiterun, and was now curious of who the little visitor had been.

"Some homeless kid wanting to see Dagmar."

"Why? Did she want to hire her?"

Vilkas shook his head. "She just wanted to catch a glimpse of the Dragonborn."

Farkas grinned as he walked with his brother towards the mead hall. "Dagmar does make the impression. Did you give the girl any coin?"

"She disappeared before I had the chance to do so. But she did not seem worried."

"Children are stronger than they look." Farkas stretched out his arms, his body sore after a training session. "I wondered if she wanted to join us."

"The Companions aren't meant for kids. But perhaps in some years… if she was a fighter."

The two brothers disappeared into the home of the companions, and Babette came out of her hiding. Eavesdropping had become quite the habit for her… Well, the wolves were not as bad as she had heard.

But it was not much information she had gotten from them. The Dragonborn had went to Solitude, just like Astrid had written, and there she must have been brought to the shack. And then… the slaughter had started.

Babette had now searched in Whiterun, so now she just needed to check Riften. If Dagmar was not with the Companions, then perhaps she was with the thieves of Riften?

Just as she was about to walk down the stairs, towards the priest of Talos who was yelling just too loud for her liking, the doors of Jorrvaskr opened again. Crouching down, she watched a female warrior step outside.

A wolf too, probably. She had red hair and face paint; she sure looked like a warrior Babette did not want to mess with, not while being a human.

But she first truly caught Babette's interest when she neared the cliff of which the legendary Skyforge had been carved out. Suddenly, an entrance had appeared (Babette widened her eyes as she did not understand how this could be happening) and the warrior stepped into the darkness.

Reacting quickly, Babette rushed forwards, just managing to get inside before the cliff-wall closed again behind her.

She faintly remembered of a time where Arnbjorn had spoken of this secret chamber; the Underforge, if she remembered correctly.

The warrior had her back turned to her, and the child tilted her head when the woman kneeled down in front of an altar. Praying? Yep, definitely a wolf. Staying in the shadows, Babette cursed her own curiosity. If she was revealed, she would be in trouble. Of course she could always hope that a childish explanation would work but…

Slowly creeping closer, Babette tried to eye the warrior. It could not be the Dragonborn, hiding here? Perhaps the other wolves had lied for her and-

Her foot accidently brushed against some small rocks and the warrior turned her head sharply towards the sound. "Who's there?" she barked, rising from the ground.

Babette backed further into the shadows, and to her surprise, she found that she walking backwards down a dull-lit tunnel.

"Vilkas, if you are spying on me to see if I am behaving-"

The voice died out as Babette was embraced in the darkness. And suddenly, there was light, sunlight, and when she took one more step backwards, she found herself falling down… A moment later she landed on her butt. "Ouch," she cried out softly, not having expected the fall.

Babette looked around and saw that she was outside the city. Well, that was another way to leave unexpectedly. But she quickly stepped away from where she had landed and started running down the small hill in case the wolf went after her.

It was not that she hated the wolves. While being a vampire, they had been annoying her by showing up when she was hunting, but she had never been fighting them directly.

But since the Companions fought for justice, they were probably celebrating the death of the Dark Brotherhood. And since their Harbinger had been the one to kill the assassins, surely they had made the victory theirs.

Babette stepped onto a road and started wondering which way to choose. Dawnstar or the way back to Whiterun stables…?

She did need to get the Riften and she had no coin to pay for a horse carriage. Knowing the wilds of the Rift, she doubted she would ever survive such a journey without her fangs.

She had stolen before. All she needed was a moment of invisibility and then she would jump onto the horse.

Babette nodded, satisfied with her plan. She would ride to Riften, find the Dragonborn and stab her in the neck the moment she turned her back to her.

Astrid would be proud… Would she not?

She was doing this for the family after all.

"You, child. Stop right there."

Babette froze, her lips pulled back into a snarl. Guards? Again? Seriously? When could she ever just walk around on her own?!

Perhaps they were going to check if she was the un-child that spread horror around the entire land of Skyrim. The rumors had spread far indeed. It was quite a wonder that the first guard had not checked her eyes; from what she knew, then every guard was terribly paranoid.

So perhaps the two that were running towards her were coming to do the unfinished job?

Or maybe they were coming to burn her. They would kill her, just like they had killed her entire family. They would celebrate while her blood was spilled because she was a monster and they were the heroes. They would kill her because her sins were too great to be forgiven.

Grabbed by panic, Babette ran, forgetting that she no longer had blood-red eyes to reveal her. The memory was painfully twisting her heart into a state of agony; she could still see it. She could still remember every detail; the open door as a sign of warning, the painfully quiet silence that was screaming at her as she entered, the smell of blood that met her nostrils, and the sight of their bodies on the ground, all so bloody and cruelly mangled…

The child ran until her lungs hurt; her heart felt like it was about to explode against her chest. Soon they would grab her, they would yell at her to tell her that-

"Bother and befuddle!"

Babette panted as she turned her face towards the frustrated voice.


	5. Fools of Skyrim

I do not own The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

**Bloodstained Smiles  
**_Fools of Skyrim _

"Stuck here! Stuuuck! My mother, my poor mother! Unmoving. At rest, but too still!"

Babette slowly came closer, eying the small man that was blocking the road. He really was small… How nice, since it sometimes was a pain only being as tall as her comrades' waists.

She tilted her head. A clown? His outfit surely was amusing; so much color and so little dignity. No, not a clown. A jester.

The girl sighed, knowing that if Nazir had been with her, he would have killed the stranger the moment he opened his mouth. Why had the Redguard always hated everything that she found amusing?

Focusing on what was next to the jester, a smile appeared. A wagon with a broken wheel… And a coffin. What; was he transporting a body? Or perhaps a vampire?

But what was important what the horse that was still bound to the useless wagon. A horse that could bring her to Riften…

"Hello," she said sweetly, almost dancing down to him. "Are you alright?"

The jester turned to her, and she saw madness and frustration in his eyes. "Poor Cicero is stuck! Can't you see? I was transporting my dear, sweet mother… Well, not her; her corpse! She's quite dead."

The girl glanced at the coffin again, and cringed slightly at the thought of the corpse of a rotten woman just next to her. "Where are you going…?"

"I am taking mother to a new home. A new crypt."

"A crypt?" she asked, not having expected such an answer, but it seemed like the jester, Cicero, did not hear her.

"But… AAGH! Wagon wheel! Damnedest wagon wheel! It broke! Don't you see?!"

Babette smiled at his bizarre scolding of the carriage and stayed calm even though it seemed like he was about to snap. Jesters never failed to amuse her. Leaning against the unmoving wagon, she asked innocently, "Can I help?"

To her surprise he started dancing. While he jumped around and clapped his hands, she laughed softly. The day was alright after all.

As he danced, the jester said, "Oh! Oh yes! The kindly stranger can certainly help!" After the last sentence, his dance stopped as he leaned down to get a better look at her. "Even if it is a small stranger!" He petted her on the head, and for a moment her liking for the jester was gone.

She scowled as she asked, "Then how can I-?"

"Go to the farm- the Loreious Farm! Just over there, off the road," he told her while pointing madly at the nearby farm. Babette bit her lip; she did want to get a free ride to Riften, but what if that was not the place he was headed? She glanced over her shoulder to see if the guards were still following her. Perhaps she should just steal the horse and avoid any deal with the jester.

He continued without noticing her hesitation. "Talk to Loreius! He has tools! He can help me! But he won't!" the jester growled. "He refuses!"

"Uhm, why-?"

"Convince Loreius to fix my wheel! Do that, and poor Cicero will reward you. With coin! Gleamy, shiny coin!" He tilted his head to look her over again. "The small kind stranger certainly looks like she could need Cicero's reward! And the stranger is kind, hmm? You will talk to Loreius?"

"But-"

"You will not help poor, poor Cicero?" the Jester said, his smile disappearing in a flash. "Oh, mother, how can I bring you to a safe warm home if no one pities poor Cicero? But he will stand here, waiting for the next stranger to come… And if the wheel stays broken, Cicero will carry his dear mother-!"

"Alright, alright!" Babette said, grabbing his arm to stop him from gesturing wildly towards the coffin. "I will help you!"

The smile returned. "You hear that, mother? The kind child will help us! And surely she will get the mean Loreius to listen; the beggar child must be used to get shiny coin by asking such innocent questions-"

"I am no beggar!" Babette objected, letting go off him.

"Of course you are! The beggar begs, hmm? Like the cook cooks, the Keeper keeps, and the farmer does nothiiing! Go speak to Loreius, so he can prove himself useful by helping Cicero and dear mother."

Something about his rant made Babette alert. She was not sure of what, but this situation slowly got more and more bizarre…; if that even was possible.

"Off you go, off you go," Cicero said while pushing her towards the small path leading up to the farm. "Smile and ask and you will get the coins. Oh, so many coins!"

Babette could see the farmer in the distance, his back turned to them as he leaned down to take care of some crop. The jester gave her one final, but still gentle push, and she suddenly found herself walking towards the farmer. Taking in a deep breath, she put up the expression she normally used for acting. "Mister Loreius?" she asked, placing her hands behind back. "I am here to-"

"For the love of Mara! What now?!" Loreius spun around to snarl at her. When he realized how young she was, his expression seemed to falter a bit.

Babette took the word before he could say anything else. "I am just asking you, if you could help the man down there?" She pointed at the wagon where Cicero was standing, jumping and waving happily at them. "The jester? He could use some help to fix his wheel and he told me you have tools-"

"So he sent you to come see me? Listen, child, you should stay away from that- that fool! I've already told him not to bother me, and he must accept my decision no matter whether he likes it or not!"

"But, please-" Babette tried. She was getting pretty tired of this sweet helpless girl role, and she just wanted to drag the darn farmer down there and be done with it.

"That crazy jester better stay away from my home. I am not helping any maniac, and you should not either! Why are you-?"

Deciding it was her turn to cut him off, she said, "But he has not done anything? Has he? He'll pay you; I know for sure! I saw all the coins!"

The farmer crossed his arms. "So that's why you are here to ask me? But for me, this is not about money! That jester… He's completely out of his head! And who knows what he might be carrying in that coffin? I tell you, I bet it's all that darn skooma stuff, and if I was you, child, I would stay away before you get dragged even further into this madness!"

Babette sighed and tried for one final time, "But he just needs some tools!"

"Look, here." The farmer searched through his pocket and placed ten coins in her hands. "I don't know how much he told he would pay you, but here is what I can give you. Now you stay here, while I go get a guard. The best thing for everybody is if he gets locked up before he hurts anyone."

He led her towards his house and left her just by the door. Watching the man stalk away, Babette shook her head sadly. This was not how she planned it. Not at all. Now the guards would come and both Cicero and herself would be in trouble.

Cicero… What a curious name. The jester was still waiting by his wagon, and from the hill, she could see the farmer starting a conversation with a guard further down the road.

Running out of choices, Babette ran down towards the jester, though not to warn him. With quick hands she freed the horse from the bounds attached to the wagon, and then jumped onto the big animal. It had been a while since she had been sitting on a horse, but she had tried riding Shadowmere…

Oh, Shadowmere! If only she had been able to call him back, but only Astrid had to power to let the horse rise from the dark water-

Her thoughts were disrupted by someone grabbing her arm and pulled her down in one quick and powerful movement. Babette scraped her knees on the rocky road, and looked up to see Cicero glaring down at her.

"Thief!" he barked. "Liar and beggar and thief all in once! Trying to trick poor mother and I, but Cicero was too quick! Too smart!"

"The guards are coming," Babette panted, feeling the grip on her arm tightening. "You-"

"The thief is scared!" Cicero let out a hysterical laughter that made Babette widen her eyes. "The guards are coming to take care of the thief! Poor mother; with no horse, the new home lies so very far- Not that it doesn't already do…"

"I need to get to Riften!"

Cicero hoisted her up to look her in the eyes. "Of course! The thief wants to come home to her fellow thieves! Like rats they are; lying for poor Cicero, and then tried stealing his horse!"

She squirmed in response. "Let. Go."

"Oh. Oh! The thief thinks Cicero is afraid of her! But Cicero knows- Argh!" he exclaimed, dropping her as he now used to his hand to caress his shin.

Babette crossed her arms in victory; she knew she had a good kick. "What about we _both _get out of here before we get arrested?"

"But Cicero is innocent! It is _you _who is a petty thief. And Cicero would never leave poor mother. She needs me, you see. I look after her, keeps her clean, and protected, and happy…"

The girl looked at the coffin, then back at the jester. "You do realize she is dead, right?"

"Of course! Cicero keeps her _body_; he oils it, preserves it, keeps it safe. Loyal Cicero will do anything for Mother. Such is the duty of the Keeper," he sighed, before happily continuing his rambling.

And then Babette realized why her senses had tickled the entire time speaking with Cicero. "The Keeper?" she asked, dumbfounded. "You're the _Keeper_? And that's…" She once again focused on the still coffin. "That's the Night Mother, isn't it?" she whispered. "By Sithis…"

The jester looked at her with widened his eyes and the wicked smile grew. "The child _knows_? Grr!" he exclaimed. "Foolish Cicero said too much. Now he has to kill the little thief, or she'll betray him once again by telling the guards-"

"Be quiet, you fool!" she hissed at him. "I serve Sithis too!"

"You do?" Cicero tilted his head. "A beggar, a thief and an assassin-"

Babette held up a hand to stop him from talking. "You're heading towards Falkreath?" she asked him quickly, sensing that time was running out. "Our Sanctuary?"

"Yes, yes! Cicero received letters from the kind Astrid; saying her family would welcome Cicero and Mother with open arms! Perhaps not so open, not after all… You have no Listener, so Cicero stayed at Dawnstar, until Cicero realized that Mother needs her children! So Cicero is coming to Falkreath to spread Mother's words! Well, not exactly, since Mother does not speak to loyal Cicero-"

"The Sanctuary is gone!" Babette shrieked. "They're all dead! There is no Family, and I…" It suddenly dawned down on her. "We're the only one left," she muttered.

By Sithis, why? Not only had she lost her entire family; she had been left with _him_! A crazy jester! A child and a madman… How could the Dark Brotherhood ever be restored like this?!

Babette could feel small tears fill her eyes, but they first streamed down her cheeks the moment the guard picked her up. From over his shoulder, she watched Cicero getting arrested.

"You there! Fool! Hold fast. You've been accused of a crime against the laws of this land. What say you in your defense?"

"Wh... What? A crime? Me? Preposterous! Poor Cicero is just standing here! Cicero loves order. Oh yes! He would never disrespect the law!" Babette knew that he was actually speaking the truth and felt sorry for the jester. But what could she do? The sudden realization of who she had been speaking to was too much for her to handle. She just needed to get to the Dragonborn. Brotherhood business could wait.

This was all about her Family; the Family Cicero was not a part of, no matter if he was the Keeper or not.

"You look like a crazy man to me. And what's in that coffin, hmm? Maybe some time in a cell will help loosen that lying tongue."

As Babette was carried away, she did not hear any more of the conversation. Looking at the face of the Nord who was holding her, she was unsure of whether to keep crying or snarl at him.

"Are you alright?" he asked her as she pulled herself into a better position. She nodded, still trying to get a glimpse of Cicero.

"Do you know the man?" the female guard walking next to him said, catching her glance.

Babette froze as she truly thought about the question. Finally, she said, "No." She still remembered the old days with Listeners, Keepers and Speakers and all that belonged to the old traditions, but now things had changed.

With the wagon out of her sight, she grasped the guard's shoulder as she understood how badly she had let the Night Mother down.

Muffled yelling could be heard in the distance. "It's probably the fool," the female guard said.

"I'll take her to the barracks," the Nord holding Babette said. "You go back and see if you can help restrain him."

Babette said no word as the female left, neither did she speak when she was brought back inside the walls of Whiterun.

The guard faintly tried to comfort her, stroking her hair whenever he felt strong enough to carry her with one hand. Babette closed her eyes as they walked through the market, not wanting to see the many faces turned towards her.

"_Forgive me, Mother, for not being worthy as your child. And forgive me, Astrid, for my miserable attempt to honor our fallen Family_."

* * *

"Dragonborn?"

Dagmar turned around, a hand on the hilt of her new dagger as her title was addressed. Three imperial soldiers… Wait, they were not soldiers; the armor was different. But they were still Imperials and therefore she had to be careful.

"Yes?" she replied slowly. They had not drawn any of their weapons, and honestly, they did not look like they were about to hurt her. A shame; it has been a while since she had taken down a patrol of imperials soldiers.

"We were sent here to bring word from Commander Maro."

"The Penitus Oculatus?" she asked, a bit surprised as she had not expected to hear from them again. She let go of the hilt to cross her arms. "Then let me hear."

The soldier cleared his throat. "The Commander wants you to be warned of a possible threat. From the information we received before you so suddenly offered your assistance, we have counted that there must still be an assassin around."

"Look; I killed all I found in the…_their_ Sanctuary. If you wanted me to chase someone down, you should have given me directions-"

"Oh, we are not here to hire you," the soldier quickly. "The Penitus Oculatus will deal with this the last assassin. But until she has been dealt with, we fear you may be the Brotherhood's, or what is left of it, target, presuming she is aware of your identity-"

Raising an eyebrow, she cut him off by asking, "'She'? You know of the assassin? A name?"

"Guards of the hold of Falkreath were sent to clean up the, well, what was left after your appreciated attack on the Sanctuary. One of them never made it back again, as they were attacked; by a vampire, no less."

"And how do you know the place was not just infiltrated by the night-spawn after I left. From experience, I know they often choose caves, or places underground, as places for living. Or of course you could see it by the armor; I apologize for my disruptions, but to be honest I have many problems to be dealt with right now, and an assassin on the loose is certainly not what I need in the moment," she explained, sighing sadly, but then straightened out her back. "But since you will be the one to deal with this vampire, I assume I only need to keep a look out. Give me the details, and I will be on my way. Oh, and tell your Commander that I appreciate his concern."

"This vampire, however, may not be something you have experienced before. Rumors did say that an undead child was walking among the assassin; but no one had seen everything like before the unfortunate guards faced it." Seeing her confusing, he explained further, "The vampire lives in the body of a child. Looks not a day over the ten of years."

For a moment, Dagmar did not know what to say. She had never been that fond of children, but even though she had no wish of becoming a mother, she still had the need to protect the vulnerable; which included innocent kids. "That's…" she said, struggling to find the right words. "That's something new. But it explains the guards' sudden paranoia; I have heard that they were stopping travelling families from entering the cities."

"The Vigilants of Stendarr has been a great help for us," the soldier nodded. "There are certain sign of how to tell them from average human beings. The eyes, most importantly. The guards are letting the children enter as soon as they have checked if they are night-spawns or not."

"So I only need to be careful when I am on the road?" she asked with a slight shrug. "No matter, I am quite sure my strength can match a child's. But I know the assassins often use other ways to eliminate their targets, so I will be taking care." Dagmar paused, but then turned to the soldiers again, "Send Commander Maro my thanks. And I will let you know if I see anything."

He gave her a short nod. "We only did our duty, Dragonborn. The Penitus Oculatus has quite the interest of working with you again in the future."

Her smile faltered a bit. "We will see about that. But I always finish what I started; I will give you that promise."

* * *

Babette swung her leg back and forth as she sat on her chair. The guards had been friendly enough; giving her a bath and offering her a new dress, she now found herself warm and somewhat satisfied. The thought of Astrid's journals being safe, kept away in the place she had hidden them, she had allowed herself to calm down.

And when she heard the news of Cicero, she had even managed to smile.

One of the guards had stormed into the barracks, pale and sweating. Babette had been told to stay where she was, but in her curiosity she had taken just a few steps closer to the wall that separated her and the guards. Of course it was also quite convenient that the guard had been too upset to lower her voice when her comrade told her so.

"It's the jester! He's gone! The entire wagon too, as if he disappeared into the air! But the by the Eight… Agnetha, Caj and Kaara, slaughtered! The mess he left behind, I-"

Nobody seemed to know where the madman had gone; not even Babette when they had asked her. And she had told them the truth; she did not know where Cicero had fled to. But it comforted her that the Keeper and the Night Mother were safe, so at least she did not have to worry about them anymore.

She had not failed completely.

And now, it seemed like she had gotten a new chance to hunt down the Dragonborn. Had the Night Mother listened to her pleas?

"Riften?" she asked innocently, after listening to the guard's long explanation of why she was going to be sent away from Whiterun. Babette had nodded the times she was expected to show acceptance, but had hidden the smile that was threatening to break her emotionless expression.

"Yes, child. The orphanage will be taking very good care of you."

Babette licked her lips; an old habit she seemed unable to get rid of. "Will I get adopted?"

"Perhaps; until then, I trust Honorhall Orphanage will be a safe and calm home for you."

The child reached up the play with her hair, but then remembered to her dismay that she had cut it. "When will I be leaving?" she then asked, and excitement was easy to track in her voice.

The female guard smiled, happy to see how the child was taking the news. Not all children were fond of the thought of living in an orphanage, let alone the accepting the thought that they were now orphans. Though, the girl here did not reveal much of her past, except repeating the fact that her family was dead.

Well, at least she was not related to that jester; that was calming news. What if the madness ran through the blood? No, this child might actually have a good chance of getting adopted. She was not sick, she seemed helpful, and the hair would grow, in case the self-made haircut would scare worried mothers off. But what was most impressive was the fact that the child her survived on her own in the wilderness. How, the guard had no idea, but it seemed like the girl had been alone for quite some time.

Babette. It was a beautiful name, and the child was easy to get along with. Soon all the guards knew of her story, and most of them had fallen for her open personality. Heck, the guard had even seen her comrades, even grumpy Orjarn, giving the child either a sweet roll or taffy treat when they had passed the Bannered Mare.

"Already tomorrow, if the weather allows it. I am sure you heard the thunder that has been roaring all day."

"Will you be travelling with me?"

"Perhaps. Either me or Kjell. And the carriage driver, of course. It might take some days to get there, though, especially now with Helgen destroyed…" She shuddered, hoping that no dragon would be seen while they were travelling. Rumors were spreading all across Skyrim; travelers telling of the mighty beasts suddenly showing up, spitting frost and fire. But of course there was also tales of the Dragonborn, the slayer of these horrid monsters.

But hopefully the rumors would remain rumors, and they would not even see the shadow of a dragon.

"I would go pack my things- if, you know, I had things to pack," Babette said, grinning. Though her comment was sad, her mood was joyful. Her tone then turned serious, "I think this is the right thing for me. I did not want to live at an orphanage, but I guess it can't be worse than living in the streets. There will be other children, won't there?"

"Yes, Babette. From what I have heard, Honorhall should be filled with children." She smiled comfortingly and petted her head. "I am sure they will like you."

Babette cringed when she looked away. Oh, what a good thing that she would leave this orphanage as soon as she got the chance.

It all seemed to be working just after her mind. She was safe, so were the Keeper and the Night Mother. Once she was finished with the Dragonborn, she would try to find Cicero; honestly, she was having trouble coming to terms with it all; the death of her comrades, being mortal again, then suddenly to have the Night Mother in Skyrim; and focusing on the assassination of the Dragonborn was hard enough. Rebuilding the Brotherhood was her next task; a task she would not think of until she had completed her first mission. Gabriella had always told her to take things one at a time- oh, forbidden names in her brain again!

Astrid's journals were safe, so she did not have to worry about them.

And, best of all, tomorrow she would be travelling to Riften. And once she got there, she would only be a stone's throw away from the Thieves Guild.

Babette smiled as she walked to the bed they had found for her in the barracks. Finally, things were started to lighten up.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for my delay, but I was working on a new chapter for my other Skyrim story "Honor Thy Family". The chapter has now been posted, so if you have the time, I would appreciate if you checked it out.  
It was so much fun working with Cicero's dialogue. I know much of his lines came from the game, but you will be hearing much more form him later.  
I would be very glad if you reviewed; I always love to hear readers' thoughts. Oh, and thank you for all the support I am getting. It means a lot! 


	6. Orphans, Thieves and Uncles

A/N: I do not own The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.  
Thank you so much for your support! I am so crazy about Skyrim! I am actually working on getting a drawing of Babette as cover for this story! Hope it will be finished soon!

**Bloodstained Smiles  
**_Orphans, Thieves and Uncles _

"Can we be best friends?"

Babette scowled and swallowed a sigh. By Sithis, she hated children. They were noisy, messy, and they only talked about none-important stuff. All hail irony, she thought bitterly, as she looked down to glance at her own body once again. She was still only ten years old, but for the first time in centuries, she was actually getting older.

Had she managed to grow taller while traveling, she wondered.

Faking a smile, she turned towards Runa. "Of course!" she chattered. "Best of friends!"

Runa Fair-Shield squealed in joy. "It is so nice, finally having another girl around here. Boys can be so stupid. I don't wanna play with them anymore, not after they called me weak."

"All girls are weak," a voice called out from behind them. "And _boring_." The boy crossed his arms when he glanced at Babette. "I'm Samuel. You're the new girl, aren't you?"

"Who else should I be?" she spat, but then returned to a formal tone, "My name is Babette."

"You're just lucky you first arrive after Grelod is gone. I bet you would not have lasted a week with that old hag," the boy snorted.

Familiar names alerted Babette's memory. This Grelod… the so-called hag, had been the contract the Dragonborn had stolen.

Babette glared at Samuel. "I once killed a sabre cat," she then said with a proud voice.

"You did not!" another boy protested from the other end of the room.

The girl just continued her story. "I stabbed it in the neck with its own tooth. The hag you talked about would be no match for me."

Samuel did not look impressed. "You're a liar," he declared. "And a beggar. I heard the guards found you wandering around on the streets."

"You heard wrong. I was found when I was fighting a murderer. He managed to kill three guards before he was taken to jail," Babette lied, wanting to earn the children's respect. If she truly was forced to be among them, no way they were going to look down on her.

"No way," the other boy said in awe. Another orphan was standing next to him, glaring at her. It had been a long time since someone had joined the orphanage.

"Well, I was the one who got Grelod killed," another voice, this time coming from behind her. "_I _contacted the Dark Brotherhood," the boy said with his chin raised.

Babette bit her cheek in wonder. So that was the one who had performed the sacrament.

"I'm Aventus. And that's Hroar and Francois."

"Babette," she said, nodding, while introducing herself once again. "Did you really see an assassin?"

"I sure did! Suddenly, she was just there! I bet the guards did not even see her entering Windhelm; assassins are too fast to be seen when they are running." His excited voice then faded, "But I did not see when she killed Grelod. I wish I did though."

"We saw it," the orphan named Hroar said. "It was so cool; there was so much blood! She just walked in, stabbed Grelod in the heart and walked out again! The guards never found her!"

"I want to be an assassin when I grow up," Runa said, still sitting on her bed. "But I will only kill bad people. That way, I can still be good, right?"

Babette smiled at her. That certainly was an interesting dialogue.

One of the boys poked her shoulder. "Hey, you said you're strong, right? Wanna fight?"

Babette was still considering the offer when Costance Michel entered the large bedroom, telling the children that dinner was ready. Even though the orphanage had turned out to be better than what she had expected, Babette was still working on the fastest way out of here. That was why she chose to sit next to Aventus while they ate.

* * *

Around midnight, hours after the children had been sent to bed, Babette sneaked towards the sleeping Aventus.

She poked him softly, and when he opened his eyes, she quickly laid a finger atop of her lips. "I have to ask you something," she whispered. Aventus sat up and stared at her. There was no trace of sleep in his eyes. "You ran away from here?" she began, remembering the conversation that had started during dinner, when Constance Michel had been too busy talking with the other orphans to notice them bringing up the forbidden subject. She never liked when the children spoke of Grelod; much less when Aventus said he had been part of her death.

Babette leaned closer, making her eyes big in admiration. "How?"

"Grelod forgot the key on her desk," he whispered back. "I sneaked into her room and took it. Left the same night so she would not find out until I was long gone! I can't believe she did not wake up- but she did snore really bad."

Babette swallowed a giggle. "What did you do with the key?"

The boy frowned, trying to remember. "I think I left it back home… You know, my old house back in Windhelm. I did not exactly plan to use the key again; no way I was coming back while Grelod was still breathing and yelling, that old hag." He then frowned. "Wait; you're trying to sneak out? Why? Constance Michel is real nice, just wait and see."

"I lied. I have some family left out there and I need to find them. Do you have any idea of how I can get out?"

"I don't know where the key is. Constance probably has it somewhere," he said, shrugging. "I don't think you should leave. You have only been here one day."

"Well, that's too bad for you, because I will be gone by morning," Babette whispered with a stern voice. "And don't you dare give me away!"

"I won't. Don't worry," he said, giving her small smile. "But getting past the guards is the hardest thing ever. It took me the entire night to get out without anyone seeing me!"

"I can handle it," Babette said, showing of a smile that normally would have revealed her fangs. "Perhaps I'll come back one day."

"I hope so. You seem like a nice friend. Hey, if Samuel scared you off, don't mind him. He's just trying to act more mature than he really is; I mean, we're all kids, but he wants to be the leader. Not that he doesn't care about us but-"

The girl glanced at him in a matter that made him shut up. "Thank you," she then breathed out, both thanking him for his help but also for the silence. She then got, slowly, and sneaked towards Contance Michel's room.

Aventus remained on his bed, watching the scene with big eyes. But the moment Babette's hand touched the doorknob, he laid down again; pretending to be sleeping in case the caretaker woke up.

Babette slowly stepped into the room; though she trusted her sneak skills, she did not want to mess this up. First she checked the bedside table, only to find some few coins and books. Quickly picking up the Septims, Babette placed them in her pocket; when facing the Thieves Guild, money could play a big factor in when it came to their decision. But even though she could only barely buy a loaf of bread with this, it was better than nothing.

Constance Michel muttered something in her sleep, turning to lie on her side. As she did, Babette noticed the small purse that was tied to the belt around her waist.

Babette knew how to pick a pocket; she mostly used this skill to plant her poisons, but throughout the centuries, she had also tasted the life of being a thief. Not that she would ever stop being an assassin; she knew where she belonged; the Dark Brotherhood. At least, she had belonged in the Brotherhood before the slaughter, now she was just on her own, free to do whatever she wanted.

With quick hands, she opened the purse, and her fingers soon felt the cold touch coming from the small metal key. Fishing it up, Babette smiled in victory. Closing the door to the bedroom behind her, she met Aventus' glance.

Waving silently, she left the main room, focusing on the door that led to her freedom. Moments after, she was outside, breathing in the cold night air. Babette was one of the few that found Riften absolutely beautiful, and it surprised her how calm the city seemed at night.

But that probably would change the moment she was underground.

The guards were no big problem; she could see the wooden staircase that led down to the lower part of the city the moment she stepped outside. Making the run for it, she was soon sneaking down the steps.

Babette had been in Riften before and she knew how to get to the Ratway. However, she did also know of the dangers that lurked around in the sewers. Pushing the door open, she entered, holding her breath.

The girl wrinkled her nose in dismay. That _smell_! Well, what else could she have expected after stepping into the tunnels of sewers?

Accidently stepping into a big puddle of, well, something, Babette quickly pulled back her foot. "Yuck," she said, but continued her walking through the Ratway. The light was poor and the smell only grew worse. That was when she nearly stepped on a rotten corpse. "Ewww…"

So when she saw the wooden bridge, she was relieved. Especially because of the fact that someone had already lowered it. Her shoes already felt wet and she did not want to think about what she had been stepping on.

However, after crossing the bridge, she yelped in surprise. She had believed she was alone in the sewers, at least in these parts, and had not expected to find a man picking up a knapsack from a table, nearly tearing the bag into pieces in his search for what she guessed was either Septims or some food.

Judging from his ragged worn clothes, she guessed he was either a beggar or some bandit with no dignity. A Lowlife, to put it simple.

As the mad eyes were laid upon her small form, Babette reached down in her pocket to try and grab her little knife; only to remember that Constance had taken it from her, telling her that there was no use for a blade here, not even for practical use.

The child's eyes travelled left, spotting the door she was searching for. Leaping towards it, she was being chased, and suddenly pulled back as he managed to grab her arm.

She was not scared, not the tiniest but of fear had entered her heart. No, she was angry, irritated that something always had to interrupt her plans. Babette's eyes flashed dangerously.

While the Lowlife was getting a hold of her, trying to search through her pockets, she squirmed and kicked, until she finally saw no other solution.

She has used this trick before; also while being a vampire. Actually, it had an effect almost every time; she had even managed to get her Dark Brotherhood comrades to do whatever she had wanted.

So Babette opened her mouth and let out a high-pitched scream that cut through the thick air.

* * *

Delvin looked up in alarm, while Vex flinched slightly. Vekel leaned over the bar desk to glance at Dirge to see if how the lookout was reacting to the sound.

Tonilia stopped counting her coins as she asked, "What was that?"

"That better not be another drunken idiot trying to find a place to pass out," Vex said, taking some steps towards Dirge. "I swear, people soon have to realize that this is an exclusive area, or we have to teach them the hard way."

"Can't wait to get started," the lookout said, cracking his knuckles.

"Sorry to interrupt you two's lovely chat," Delvin said, "but I ain't thinking that scream's comin' from a lost fool."

As on cue, the door slammed open. Yelling filled the bar, and just as Delvin rose form his chair, something leapt at him. Babette threw her small arms around his neck to cling unto him, her speed making him stagger.

Delvin stared at the child with widened eyes, unsure of what to do.

Meanwhile, the Lowlife that had been chasing the child stumbled into Dirge. With a smirk, the lookout raised his fist, only to smash it into the bandit's face the moment after.

"Too damn easy," he muttered as the Lowlife crumbled to the ground.

Vex walked over to kick the limp body. "You should take of it properly, Dirge. I am not too fond of being surrounded by Lowlifes. I suspect the smell around here is coming from them," she said, wrinkling her nose. "So, where's that damsel in distress?" As she set her eyes on Delvin, a smirk appeared. "Got a new friend, Del?"

The thief cringed as he started to pull down Babette. "Eh," he scowled. "Can't get it off."

"You got to help me," Babette whispered into his ear. "I'm Astrid's friend; don't reveal my identity. _Please_, help-" She cut off her stream of whispers as the thieves surrounding them came too close. With a whimper, she burrowed her face into Delvin's neck.

"In the need of help, Delvin?" Vekel the Man asked, grinning.

"What's a kid doing around here?" Vex asked, crossing her arms. Sighing, she finally sprung to action, and in a quick movement she grabbed the back of Babette's dress and pulled her down with a firm hold. The girl landed heavily on both feet when the thief took her shoulder and turned her towards her. "Do you have any idea where you are, _kid_?"

Babette blinked, and stared back in a stubborn glance.

Tonilia raised an eyebrow after seeing the girl's expression while Vekel looked at Delvin who seemed to be frozen.

Just when Vex was about to scold Dirge for not doing his job properly, Babette opened her way, "The Ratway," she spoke slowly. "Or, well, this is The Ragged Flagon, isn't it?"

Vekel put up an amused smile. "You don't look like one of my common customers."

Vex leaned down towards Babette again, meeting her glance with stern eyes. "Point said, the big question is, kid, why you are down here. For trust me, you should be in a place like this."

Raising her head, Babette spoke again, "I am here… to find my family." Unsure of what else to say, she had found the role she wanted to play and was now speaking lies with a practiced confidence.

Not being able to hide her surprise, Vex widened her eyes. Dirge had now joined the scene, after having finished off the Lowlife and had dragged the body back into the Ratway, and was glancing at Babette with eyebrows raised in confusion. Moving his glance to Vekel he asked the question with no words, but the bartender shook his head. The girl had to explain herself before any decisions were made.

"So," the Tonilia snorted, "who should we bring the happy news?"

Vex dropped her jaw as the girl's glance flickered towards Delvin. The bald thief shrugged lightly, staring at Babette as well.

"Well, this is certainly interesting," Vekel said, chuckling for himself as he picked up his broom; he could watch this just as well while doing his job.

Clearing his throat, Delvin got Babette's attention. "So," he coughed, "kid, mind goin' for a little talk?" He gestured towards the door that led further into the Ratway.

Babette sniffed but followed him. Delvin placed a heavy hand on her shoulder before closing the door behind them, making sure that no curious ears would be listening to this conversation.

"Well," Tonilia breathed out. "_That _was something unusual."

"Since when did this place turn into a playground?" Vex snorted, taking seat near the bar. "I told you, Dirge, you would be more use guarding the _door _than the _bar_."

"Yeah," the lookout replied. "Then where should I get my free mead?"

"So do you think the girl is telling the truth?" Vekel asked, cleaning the desk with a wet rag.

"And that our lovely old Del has become a father?" Dirge asked. "I have heard crazier things."

The bartender suddenly set his glance on Vex who seemed lost on thoughts. "You seem so surprised, Vex. You did not believe Delvin had it in him?"

"I just thought Del knew how to finish a job properly," she replied sharply. "But we do not know if she is _his_. He's not the only Breton around here," she muttered, until she suddenly had a horrible realization. "Rather his than Mercer's."

The bar fell quiet. "You don't believe that, do you?"

The pale-haired thief took a big gulp of her mead. "All I know that a kid suddenly shows up here, claiming someone around here is her family, and that I am _not _going to play babysitter."

"There actually was a time where Delvin left the Flagon," Vekel mused. "At least, that is what I have heard."

"Well," Tonilia declared, "if that turns out to be Delvin's girl, then it is his problem. And he better fix it. Especially before Dagmar returns."

"She's not fond of children?" Dirge asked her, having cleaned his axe.

The Redguard snorted. "Is any of us?"

"If I know Delvin right, he'll set things straight," the bartender commented from his corner. "Even if it means comforting a crying girl."

"And if I know Delvin right, he'll be walking out of there with more problems on his hands than when he entered," Vex muttered, drinking again. "We should tell Brynjolf."

"He'll find out soon enough- and so will the others." Vekel paused, raising an eyebrow in wonder. "But if Delvin's the father, then who in Oblivion is the mother?"

Vex opened her mouth to retort in a smart matter, but then her already pale face seem to lose its color. Shaking her head in disbelief, she muttered, "I pity that kid."

* * *

"I trust you are not here for a contract?" Delvin asked flatly, leaning against the wall, but then shivered at the coldness. "'cause that'll only bring you trouble."

Babette shook her head. The tears had dried the minute they stepped out of the others' sight, and she was now working on making a deal with the thief. "You don't have to worry about that; the Dark Brotherhood is currently out of business."

"A real shame," Delvin nodded. "Rumors travel far, and the Guild has many ears. Real shame indeed. But I guess you shouldn't have expected anything less. Not when it comes to the Brotherhood." He sighed again. "So, what does the lovely mistress want with me, eh? Planning revenge isn't always cheap, I know quite the bit 'bout that."

"Astrid…" Babette began, realizing she has brought false hope to the thief. "She's dead. Along with the others." She smiled sadly. "You are looking at the last Dark Brotherhood assassin."

"Don't know if I should be worried or impressed? Mind to tell me?" he frowned. "Am I supposed to know ya? 'cause I would have noticed if you've been 'ere before."

"I am… was a part of the Brotherhood. I was told to go here, as I am hunted everywhere else." Babette awkwardly rubbed her arms, unsure of where to look. "She told me I could trust you."

Delvin rubbed his bald neck. "Look… I ain't gonna avoid the subject, so let me ask; you're Astrid's daughter?"

Babette hesitated, not sure of lying would work here. But the best lies always included a bit of truth, and honestly, Astrid had been a very important person to her. Though they did not share blood, Babette had always looked up to Astrid; the woman who led and comforted her. "Does it matter?" she then said, shrugging it off. "They're all dead; I am just trying to stay alive."

"Heard she got married," Delvin muttered, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. "A shame, that." Shaking his head to turn towards Babette. "Look kid, I might be able to help you. You ain't the only one trying to get out of bloody Skyrim these days."

"Oh, I was not thinking of fleeing like that. I was thinking… of a place to hide until things have calmed down."

Delvin's lips were raised into a smile that let out a chuckle. "You ain't goin' to be staying here, kid. Even my help has limits, and this is no place for a child like you."

"Like me?" she said, repeating his words. "You seem to have forgotten, Mister Mallory, that I grew up in the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary. I have already lost most of my innocence, looking at things from that point of view." Sighing, she tried again, "Please, Mister Mallory. You… You owe her, don't you? There… she wrote something about a letter of credit?" The voice got smaller and she looked up with begging eyes.

"I'm an obtainer of goods, kid; ain't no caretaker." Delvin rubbed her chin and looked her over again. "Your name, kid?"

"Babette."

"Are ya trouble?"

"No. Not really. Perhaps in some situations. Can't promise anything though," she answered with a small smile. "But I'll do what I am told. I won't get in your way, or anything! Please, Mister Mallory!"

"Look, if we've been wantin' a child here, we have a real nice orphanage just upstairs. I could show ya around up there if ya want to."

"No thanks. Already been there."

"So you're really on the run, eh?" he chuckled. "No doubt the guards are going to be all crazy for ya in the morning…"

"They don't know who I am. Not really. Look, I have already disguised myself, no one knows of my past, all I ask for is if I could stay here? Astrid was like a mother to me, and when I was left alone, I looked through her journals to get guidance. She mentioned you and here I am." Babette spread out her arms in weak excitement. "Took me long enough. I've been all over Skyrim, and I haven't been chased by all the wilds out there to be rejected by a bunch of thieves! You owe Astrid, and I am willing to do a lot to get your protection."

"I admit, I don't know much about your little group. But I do know that assassins can't be trusted, and you, my young lady, act very much like the rest of your profession. Astrid was a lovely lady, but I didn't sign up for any sort of adoption." Seeing how the girl's expression crumbled, he added, "However, I've never refused a great deal. How much time are we talking about 'ere, kid?"

"_Babette_," she corrected him sharply, "and I don't know. Until the Penitus Oculatus aren't after my throat."

"We don't want any soldiers down here- especially not if they are bloodthirsty enough to go after a child. Doesn't surprise me, though."

"I chose this place because it's the safest place in Skyrim now! After they burned down the Sanctuary, you have the honor of being the most peaceful- wait, I would not call it peaceful, after having been a part of that little scene out there," she spat, pointing towards the door. "This is the last favor you can do for Astri-"

"I might be considerin' holding a hand over your head, but it ain't my decision. We have a whole Guild back there, and they're all bein' part of this decision. And something tells me ya aren't gettin' their votes."

"You could speak for me. Tell them I am your niece that needs protection for a _short _time," she said, putting extra weight on the word. She folded her hands behind her back. "And for someone like you, Mister Mallory, I can't believe it would be that hard to convince them."

"Charming." His face then fell serious. "But I ain't stupid. Astrid never was much of talking about your business, but do me a favor and don't try makin' me a fool. We both know who lovely Astrid faced when she made that fatal mistake- and we both know why the guards up there are stoppin' children from enterin'."

Taken back by his statements, Babette bit her lip. "I was bitten… once. Astrid gave me my life back; now I am trying to keep it. I know the Dragonborn is a part of your Guild, but I could not care less. Right now, I've lost everything, and I can't keep believing that they won't find me. When I saw your name in the journals, I just thought you might help… Like Astrid helped you?"

Delvin scowled. "That's one dirty trick. Seems you'll fit in here quite nicely. I don't trust ya, kid, and your stare's makin' my skin crawl. However, I'm not the man to turn down his promises. I'll see what I can do, but I ain't promisin' anything. And one bad move from ya, and you'll be wishin' you chose some other sewers to hide."

Grinning, she threw her hands around him again, leaning her face against the leathery armor of his. "Thank you, Mister Mallory," she breathed out. The thief stiffened, unsure of how to answer to gesture.

Fortunately, he was saved by Brynjolf forcefully opening the door, turning his heads in all direction to try and find his fellow thief. Spotting them to the left of the door, his jaw dropped slightly at the sight of Babette. "Well, I was certain that dear Vex was trying to mess around with me. Seems like I was wrong. So," the corner of his lip was lifted into a smile, "something you want to tell me, Del?"

"Yeah," the thief answered, prying the girl off him, "learn what 'privacy' means; that knowledge won't be hurtin' ya."

"I am just glad I was not met by a skeever ambush the moment I opened the door. We do need a serious clean-up around here." He wrinkled his nose. "That smell will be the death of me one day. But what do we have here?" Brynjolf said, leaning down towards Babette who was staring at him. The thief rubbed his chin. "If I tilt my head, I can see the resemblance, Delvin; poor girl."

"Shut it," he snapped. "She ain't mine."

Brynjolf raised an eyebrow, still meeting Babette's eyes. "Then why is she here?"

Before Delvin could answer, Babette held out a hand. "Hello," she greeted him politely. "I am Babette."

"A pleasure to meet you, little lass. Name's Brynjolf."

"So you're a thief too?"

The red-haired Nord sent Delvin a glance; he just shrugged. "Don't look at me like that; I didn't tell her a thing."

"I know what the Thieves Guild is," Babette said quietly. "One of the reason why I am here." There was a short moment of silence, until she spoke again, looking directly at Brynjolf. "You are right about the smell. It's disgusting."

The thief laughed at her comment, glancing at Delvin who refused to smile. Placing a hand on her shoulder, Brynjolf led her towards the door. "You go talk to Vekel; just ask for whatever you want. If he complains, tell him I'll pay him later."

Sensing she was being sent away to avoid hearing their conversation, Babette hesitated. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Delvin giving her a small nod. Raising her head, she looked up at Brynjolf's face and asked, "Who's Vekel?"

"The one at the bar; you'll know him." With a last gently push, he shoved her out of the door and closed it carefully. "I guess a 'congratulation' is on its place."

"Drop it and listen," Delvin said from the corner of his mouth. "I ain't no father; never was, never will be. Rumors are rumors, and I can't change that with my explanation, for it does not seem anyone around 'ere wants the darn truth."

"Calm down, Del. I am not here to mock; I am here to listen. And I am all ears."

"The girl's an orphan. From Honorhall, no less. Snuck out tonight. Came down 'ere to find me; turns out I am her uncle; who would have imagined that?" Delvin eyes darted around. "My sister managed to make quite the mistakes before she was killed; received some letters from her back in spring. Thought she had managed to work something out- I was wrong. So the girl came 'ere… and now I am askin' ya to convince little Vex that she can be staying here for a while."

"How about you convince me first?" Brynjolf leaned against the wall, letting a hand run through the red hair. "This isn't a good idea."

"Never said it was. But it is the only thing I can do for her, so unless you have something in mind, I vote for her suggestion."

"She's already visited the orphanage, you say? And now she's a wanted wo… girl," he corrected himself. "And who did your sister piss off so madly that they are chasing a child?"

"Wish I could tell ya, Bryn, but my business is my business until I say anything else. I got enough problems already with her running around 'ere, and dragging you into won't help a thing. But look, if the girl's goes up there, it's only a matter of time before she gets caught. Then she's no better luck than the poor souls you can see the elves draggin' around on the roads."

"How long time are we talking about here? Days, weeks?"

"As short time as possible; can't say anything else."

"I'll talk to Vex, and leave you to deal with the kid. But I trust you know the rumors?"

"The guards have already let her enter the city; she ain't bitten. Funny, how the Vigilants suddenly have everyone paranoid; haven't even heard of an attack yet. Don't expect me lookin' over my shoulder in fear of night-spawns."

"Especially not now when you have other things to keep an eye on. The kid's your responsibility."

"I know that. So tell the others to keep away from the Flagon; that's where she'll be staying. What about we get back inside, before this stench becomes permanent on us?"

As they walked, Brynjolf suddenly muttered, "Who knows? Perhaps the girl with end up as our own Sapphire. …has it becomes a habit for you to bring nieces down here?"

"Very funny. To my defense, I never played a role in any of it. They just… show up." He shook his head in wonder and entered The Ragged Flagon. "Weird thing, that is."

They found Babette at the bar, currently busy with swallowing down a sweet roll. Tonilia and Dirge were watching the girl from a distance; the Imperial leaned closer to whisper something into her ear which made her snort.

Brynjolf headed towards Vex who standing in the shadows, wearing a gloomy expression. Delvin caught Babette's glance as she looked up to smile at him. She may not have secured her position yet, but she was so close to the Dragonborn now, that her heart started to beat faster. Dagmar had to be here somewhere… And when she showed up, Babette would stalk her until the right moment.

But right now she just enjoyed being in a safe place; the sharp glances she was receiving did not bother her. Oh, how fortunate Astrid's journals had given her more information about Delvin Mallory than what she would ever need. Those stories… How she wished Astrid would have told her while she had been alive; then perhaps she would have gotten to know some details that were left out in the books.

But the stories gave her the power to manipulate the thief, which was just what she needed.

However… Delvin had made it clear he did not give any favors…

So if she was allowed to stay here…

…then what was the price?

* * *

A/N: A long chapter! I hope you like it! Don't be afraid to review; I would be glad to know how I am doing, so I can improve if necessary. Delvin's dialogues were very hard; and not as funny as Cicero's, hihi. You will get to know the stories Babette is thinking about, also where the journals are hidden, but everything with time. I hope to update soon, but can't promise anything, as I am busy with exams for the moment.


End file.
